HMS Bounty's Jolly Boat by Peanut6 - Artesania Latina Ref. 19004 - Scale: 1:25 - First build wooden ship

[Peanut6]

Preface:  This is a recreation of the build log I started in late 2010 up to the close of dry dock in the summer of 2011.  As stated in my reintroduction post, I've gotten the itch back and want to finish this project.  I had saved all the text and photos from that original build log and have decided to use them as is/was.  I won't edit anything and will include the photos as best as I can determine which post they belong to.  My aim is to get us back up to date with the current status and then press on to completion.  It will become obvious that I received a lot of help and feedback, but those posts have been wished to the cornfield due to the "Great Crash".  I apologize in advance for my lack of photography skills and lengthy posts.  I would greatly appreciate any and all comments plus your advice in the completion of my little Jolly Boat.

 

Take care and be safe.

kev 

[Peanut6]

I’m finally getting my build log started.  This is my first build so I’ll be asking many questions once I get my log caught up to my current state.  As I understand it, one of the greatest benefits of a build log is providing a source of reference for other builders of the same model.  I’ve read many logs and get a bit dismayed because the majority of the time because you only see what was done and not how it was done.  I believe success is always found in the finest of details, the things that one of experience just knows or is so basic that it’s assumed to be obvious common knowledge is often omitted or glossed over at best.  So from that point of view I’ll be including what I’m thinking, wondering, questioning during each step of the construction as best as I can.  I will also include all the little things I had to deal with, silly things I learned or should have taken into account if I had been thinking.  I didn’t despair because I know this is a learning experience and the only way to learn is by doing.  Whether my thoughts/concerns and the little things I find out are valuable or not, I think it still might be of help to others, if nothing more than to give them something to laugh at.  So with all that being said, enough of the preamble and let’s get on with the show.

 

AL’s Jolly Boat is supposed to represent the boat that Captain Bligh and his followers were set adrift in by Fletcher Christian and his mutineers of the HMS Bounty.  I’ve come to learn that Model Shipways Bounty Launch is much more representative of the actual boat that Captain Bligh and his followers started their miraculous voyage.  Here are the specs of AL’s Jolly boat:

 

Length:  415mm  (16 5/16’)

Height:  363mm  (14 3/10”)

Beam:  340mm  (13 3/8”)

Scale:  1:25  (12/25” = 1 ft)

 

I really can’t give an intelligent comparison of the contents of the kit since this is my first build.  What I can say is that all planks and dowels were banded and shrink wrapped separately (meaning all dowels together and all planks together).  All the sheet material was shrink wrapped together as well.  All small components were in a compartmentalized plastic container with all like brass components bagged along with a silica gel packet in each bag.  Regarding the quality of the wood, good I suppose.  I didn’t see any knots in the wood or rough grain areas.  Inventory showed that all components were included.  The one thing I noticed was that the dowels used for the mast pieces, bowsprit, spars and oar handles were listed in the parts list as being African walnut were actually a light colored wood they refer to as Ramin.  The pre-sewn sails came in their own bag.  Being inexperienced I have nothing to say about the sails, guess I’ll be able to give an opinion a couple builds down the road.  All the components in the sheet pieces were laser cut.  This is the first I’ve seen and was very impressed.  Here are the customary pictures that appear to be required to start all build logs.

[Peanut6]

Step 1 has me attaching the frames, transom and reinforcements to the “outer keel”.  These were provided in laser cut sheets.  I thought this was pretty cool, only had to cut thru the little sections left to retain the piece to the sheet.  Simple task and I sanded down the nubs from the bridges.  Before doing any additional sanding I tried a dry fit of the frames to the keel and was very surprised how tight the fit was.  I actually had to work a bit to get all the frames fully seated.  I figured now was the time to find out how square things were fitting together.  I pulled out both of my hobby squares checking every surface.  I then borrowed some of the kids Lego’s to figure out that method.  I was amazed that my naïve eye was finding everything was straight and true.  With a bit of work I was able to disassemble everything.  I recall reading somewhere that it was advised to remove the singe marks left behind after the laser cutting because it poses problems for gluing.  It appeared that the singe marks actually impregnated into the end grains of the ply of the keel and frames.  There are a couple very subtle surfaces on frames 2 (nearest the bow) and 8 (nearest the transom) which are used to mount the deck.  The other frame members have larger surfaces.  As I was trying to remove the singe marks I noticed that I was starting to round off the defining corners those surfaces on frames 2 and 8.  I couldn’t very well leave odd colored wood due to singe marks so I decided that I would stain the keel and frame.  I selected Minwax red oak #215.  Glued everything together, wiping away excess glue with a cotton swab (Q-Tip) as I went and let it dry.  Once it was set I stained my frame and let it dry over night.

 

ADVISORY NOTE:  You need to take notice of the chamfer at the top of the transom and the high points at the top for frames 2-4 and 6-8.  The high point of the chamfer on transom should be on the outboard side.  Frames 2-4 need to have the high point on the bow end and frames 6-8 need to have the high point on the aft end.  The top of frame #5 is horizontal so no worries there.  I noticed I had something wrong at the transom when I was nearly done with my planking, see post #28.  Hopefully the picture below will show you what I mean and what not to do.

 

 

  Lessons learned:  Just because you use a wiping agent doesn’t mean you got all the glue removed.  Best to hit it with a damp wiping agent and then some sandpaper to ensure you’ve got it all.

 

  Repercussions:  None, I was very lucky this time because all locations where the stain didn’t take because of glue residue will not be viewable.

 

Edited June 13, 2021 by Peanut6
additional content and image

[Peanut6]

Step 2 is where I attached the deck.  When I found the sheet that contained the deck it looked warped.  I believe it was due to the shrink wrap.  I set it down on my work surface and went to refresh my memory on the best way to straighten a warped sheet.  Wasn’t able to get back to it until the next day.  I was surprised to see that just letting it sit over night it flattened itself out.  Removed it from the laser cut sheet and sanded the nubs down.  I looked at the singe marks and decided the exterior edge wasn’t an issue since it would be covered by the planking but the inter edge was a different situation.  There are short tabs where the thwarts sit and I saw the same situation of those corners being rounded down if I tried to remove the singe marks.  In hind sight it wouldn’t have been a big deal because the thwarts would have covered them.  Why I could recognize that for the exterior and not here I can’t tell you.  Regardless, it was a snap decision to leave it alone and let it be.  The deck is symmetric so I only sanded the side that I decided would be showing and marked the opposite side with an “X” in pencil.  I did a dry fit and all was good.  After the dry fit I set the deck down on my work surface sanded side up knowing that was the orientation I wanted.  I figured that I could easily use rubber bands to attach the deck to the frame and promptly applied glue to the mounting surfaces of the frame.  I get the deck seated and start applying rubber bands and find that the majority are either to large or too small regardless of how I position them, doubling them or not.  Now I’m in a bit of a panic, during this process I’ve smeared glue just a bit and it is starting to set.  I pull off the deck and start cleaning off glue.  Got the frames and deck cleaned up nicely.  Now since I was cleaning the gluing surface of the deck (the side with the “X” on it) it was left on my work surface “X” side up when I was done, opposite of what I had imprinted in my mind (yeah you see it coming don’t you?).  Based on what I learned on my first attempt I identified the appropriate sized rubber bands and their locations for my second attempt.  I applied glue to the appropriate mounting surfaces of the frame, attached the deck and secured it using the size rubber bands.  I set my modest assembly down on my work surface after making sure all was right, or so I thought.  Turned off the lights anxious to see it again tomorrow.  What I see the next day is very discouraging.  Half of the mounting surfaces didn’t take or if they did they do so in the wrong place, meaning they had crept up the frame no longer in contact with the correct mounting surfaces.  I used isopropyl alcohol to neutralize my glue and clean things up.  I had learned that isopropyl alcohol is just as effective as water in neutralizing water soluble wood glue but doesn’t cause the wood to swell which can present additional issues in disassembly.  Finally get things cleaned up and clamped down appropriately using spring clamps where the rubber bands just weren’t working.  I was able to position the spring clamps with one jaw on the outside of the frame, flip the flexible pad out and position it on the deck.  With a little work I found just the right location along the frame to ensure the deck was in full contact with the frame mounting surfaces.  After all was set I removed the clamps and rubber bands only to see my wonderful little “X” staring me in the face.  Nothing left to do but carefully sand down the deck with it in place.  After all the trouble I had getting the deck correctly attached there was no way I was pulling it off.

 

Evidently I didn’t get any pictures of this step other than the warped sheet.  I suppose it was because this step kinda’ put me in a tizzy.  My inexperience really came to the forefront and every little problem that I had was of my own doing.

 

  Lessons learned:

 

The dry fit of parts is a given but serious consideration should be given to a dry clamp.

 

If you are not 100% sure that your dry clamp is secure, walk away and let it sit a while and then check it again.  Maybe a bit longer than it takes the glue to set up.

 

Rubber bands have a tendency to travel if the surfaces aren’t parallel.  Might only be just a little bit, but that little bit can make all the difference in the world.

 

Learn about your tools and what they are capable of.  I found, by accident, that by flipping the flexible pad on my spring clamp in the out position it presented many new clamping options.

 

  Repercussions:

 

I was able to overcome everything that happened but due to my mistakes it cost me 3 days of forward progress.

 

[Peanut6]

Step 3 installs the centerline, flooring battens, batayole (their description) and the stern thwarts.  All pieces are African walnut.  I cut all the flooring battens just a hair long and sanded each one individually to desired length for their location.  I measured the spacing from the plans and figured I would need a spacer to ensure consistent spacing.  I used the left over piece from the centerline, sanded it to the appropriate thickness then cut it into thirds.  After the centerline was set I glued down the first batten.  The spacers worked as I had planned.  After the first batten was set I placed its counterpart on the other side.  This time one of the spacers got clued in place, and this turned out not to be the only time.  After getting a couple battens in place on each side I abandoned that method and just went by eye with no problems.  The only issue I had was discovering how you must be very careful what you are holding on to.  I kept popping loose battens because I would be holding or pushing on them.  The stern thwarts didn’t fit into position exactly as I had wanted.  I decided trying to get them to fit exactly the way I wanted them would make the look worse than how they currently fit so I just went with it.  I thought I had made a major error when I went to attach the batayole.  The instructions show that it rests at the very tip of the bow and back to frame number 3.  Frame 3 sits lower than the bow and I went into immediate panic.  I looked at the plans and saw that the bow and frame 3 would need to be co-planar since the batayole sits at a slight angle.  Got things sanded down so the batayole rested on the 3 surfaces indicated in the instructions.

 

  Lessons learned:  need to be more careful in how I handle the boat, popping pieces loose is very frustrating.

 

  Repercussions:  None, other than loosing time having to reattach flooring battens.

 

[Peanut6]

Steps 4 & 5 add the mast hole cover, thwarts, the mast base and reinforcement.  These steps were pretty straight forward.  I decided that I didn’t like the look of the thwarts and the deck being the same wood tone.  I cut them just a hair longer than required and stained them the same as I did the frame.  While they were drying I The mast hole cover is centered at the intersection of the center line and frame 5.  The instructions tell you to attach the mast base to the bottom the thwart and then attach the reinforcement on top of the mast base butted up against the thwart.  Like I said, pretty straight forward and not difficult.  Just make sure you get them all aligned.  I continued to pop loose a floor batten now and then.  When will I learn to pay attention to what I’m doing.

 

Advisory Note:  This is what I did and it posed problems when it comes time to install the mast.  I installed the mast base and reinforcement prior to installing the mast hole cover.  I used the 5mm dowel to help me align the mast hole cover.  I put the end of the dowel in the hole of the cover and then snugged the dowel against into the radii of the base and reinforcement.  My thinking was that the base and cover surfaces would present a sufficient surface to ensure the mast would be perpendicular.  And that it did, but . . . . later on at the tapering step you're instructed to measure off the plans to get the taper.  What I did was take measurements along the length at various points to guide me to the final diameter.  What I didn't know at the time was that the tapering actually starts after the mast passes the thwart, base and reinforcement section (I went back and double checked the plans to be sure).  When I came to tapering the mast I started the taper right away just a hair past the 5mm point.  By the time the mast gets to the base and reinforcement section you have taken enough material away so that when the mast is snugged against them you have a forward rake on the mast which is wrong.  At this point in my build I'm trying to decide if I want to try and shim the area between the mast and the base and reinforcement section or detach the hole cover and reposition it.  At this point in my thinking either method could/should eliminate the forward rake but I don't know for sure.  Would hate to see someone come across the same problem(s) I've had especially if I might be able to help them avoid the problem.  

 

I didn’t pick up anything new nor did I have any problems.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Peanut6
added advisory note

[Peanut6]

Steps 6 & 7 are where we fair the frame starting at the bow and working toward the center of the hull.  Then we go from the stern to the center.  With everything I had read this was going to either make or break the appearance of the boat especially since this is a single planked hull.  So of course I’m scared to death.  I do more than enough reading than one should be allowed without ever touching any type of abrasive material/device.  I finally decide I’m being a baby about this whole thing and start making sawdust.  I wound up going against the instructions in that I did one entire side first.  I was using a plank to check my progress.  That worked fine over the distance of 3 or 4 contact points.  I don’t have a keel clamp of any sort and my little hands just aren’t big enough to hold the boat and the plank in enough places over a greater distance to get a good idea of what I was doing.  And like I said, I was using a less than an ideally flexible plank.  Because I’m anxious about this whole fairing thing I decided to walk away to have a smoke and a frosty mug of the golden nectar while I think about how I can cover a greater length with what I have available. As luck would have it I was close enough to the end of the 30 pack in the garage frig to move the few remaining cans from the box to a shelf leaving me room to put the next box in its place.  So here I am staring at the empty box while I’m sucking my suds and burning one.  I get to thinking and the wheels start a turning.  I bet the cardboard of that box would be flexible enough yet still have some rigidity to work as a temporary plank.  I finish up my smoke and tear off a section of the box, straight away to the shipyard.  I find my balsa stripper (that is what X-Acto calls it) and cut some temporary planks.  I can hold one end at the bow with the other end at the transom and with just a bit of tightening I can see every bump, dip and doodle along the entire length of that section of the frame.  Wow, I just amazed myself, this just might work after all.  Even though I have that worked out I was really getting concerned at how much I was having to take of the transom to get a smooth run to the 2 frame members leading up to it near the keel level.  Unfortunately I was so excited about this discovery that I neglected to take any pictures of my progress.

 

[Peanut6]

During my times of contemplation (ok, scared to continue and I’ll admit it) of the fairing I looked a little forward into the build to see what I could do to clear my mind.  I decided that I could be turning down the 3mm, 4mm and 5mm diameter dowels that make up the mast assembly, bowsprit and spars.

 

Advisory note #1:  The instructions discuss making/sizing your sails per the included plans.  My kit, as well as others, came with pre-made sails which are larger than the dimensions of the plan.  This means that at the very least the boom and halyard need to be longer that what the plans state.  Be sure to double the check provided sail size versus plan sail size and make adjustments at least to the halyard and boom accordingly.  And it wouldn't hurt to take a look and bowsprit and mast length.  I'm my case I hadn't yet cut the bowsprit to length so I was able to use it as I had originally turned it and I decided to go with a single piece mast rather than the two piece mast per the instructions and adjusted accordingly.

 

I’ve read many ways that this can be done.  With the materials/tools at hand, I decided that my cordless drill would do the job just fine.  There was only 1 thing that happened that totally surprised me, and 2 I should have thought of.  As far as “should have thought of” goes, number 1 is I didn’t realize it doesn’t really take a lot of pressure to dent wood.  Even though I wrapped the end of the dowel with a few layers of masking tape prior to chucking it up I still went a bit too tight, which left dents in the wood.  This of course leads to point number 2, if you need a 200mm dowel tapered and the kit provides a 200mm dowel you might as well get a longer dowel to start with.  Giving yourself extra length before and after allows you to take care of any unforeseen events.  I started by getting a sheet of 150 grit sandpaper and ripped me off a strip about 30mm wide and the full long length of the sandpaper.  I took that strip and folded in half and then in half again.  Basically I wound up with a sandpaper pad 30mm wide by how ever long the folds came out to be.  I carefully wrapped the sandpaper pad around the dowel closest to the chuck using my thumb and index finger and work my way to the free end.  As time went by I was able to adjust the speed of the drill to find the happy medium of making good progress yet still being in full control of what I was doing.  I kept taking measurements with my calipers and getting a fresh surface of sandpaper as I needed it.  One thing to be very careful of, if you are getting close to your desired tapered dimension and present a fresh surface of sandpaper you can very easily taper too much.  It almost cost me a dowel.  I was able to get within 0.02mm of my desired dimension and then I switched to 220 grit to take care of the last little bit.  And on one dowel that is where the unexpected happened.  I was making my last pass at the far end when all of a sudden the last inch or just bowed.  The only thing I can figure is that I hit that perfect place at the perfect diameter where the wood grain changed.  Fortunately I had enough at the chuck end of the dowel to make the adjustment and still use what I had.

 

Advisory note #2:  What I've learned since this post is that heat has a fantasmigorical effect on wood.  If you were amazed, as I was, by how flexible a piece of wood becomes when you soak it in water, wait until you see what applying real heat will do.  I'm now firmly of the belief that the instant radical bowing of my piece was due the heat created by friction.  In hind sight I think I want to remember feeling the sandpaper getting warm/hot but not enough to prevent me finish up the pass (boy was I wrong).  When the hot sandpaper hit the warm wood everything went wacko.  In turning my new pieces I took extra care to ensure that the wood wasn't getting very warm and as soon as I felt any heat in the sandpaper I moved to another section.  Following this practice I had no issues even getting down to 2.2 MM in diameter.

 

Advisory note #3:  This is a follow through from the Advisory Note in post #6.  Take note of the location of the bowsprit support (item #58) shown in the mast portion of the picture below.  The instructions advise us to take measurements from the plans for tapering of the items shown below.  On my turning of my single mast, adjusted for the larger sail issue, I got it turned to the appropriate diameters per the plans (again you need to refer to post #6).  I added the cheeks at the plan scaled location from the top of the mast.  I also took this opportunity to add the the bowsprit support (item #58) located as scaled from the plans.  Here is where the rub is.  I aligned the bowsprit support to be centered on the mast, in line with the cheeks as shown in the top view on the top left of the plans, at the elevation as scaled from the plans.  This posed a problem at the mast installation, as I had oriented things.  The elevation, as scaled from the plans, aligned with the cheeks does not account for the truss reinforcement installation.  If you look at the side view of our Jolly Boat at the top right view of the plans you will notice that the bowsprit support is located just aft off center.  Does offsetting the bowsprit support, as shown in the plans, clear the truss support (item #58) when located from the bottom of the mast when measured?  I don't know as my location was unacceptable and I had to remove it.  I've decided to reattach the bowsprit support after I get thru my hornets nest of problems at the mast installation step.  The plans show conflicting information so be careful where and when you position/orient this piece to take full advantage of all possibilities available at the time you decide so to avoid problems.  

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Peanut6
additional content

[Peanut6]

Ok, back to fairing.  During this process I continued to pop loose the flooring planks.  I finally decided enough was enough.  I loaded up a hypodermic needle and hit both sides each floor plank to frame interface with a drop of glue.  Something I should have done earlier, but that combined with a continued effort to look at how I was handling the boat seems to have put an end to that issue (I certainly hope).  I finished the fairing and hope I haven’t  made a big mistake.  After the fact I took a look at the plans.  The placement of the top plank in reference to the upper most portion of the frame members start to show a bit of a gap between the plank and the deck as you go back to the transom.  I look at my boat and I don’t see that same gap.  It could be the angles working with my head since I don’t have it planked yet.  I guess we’ll see when all is said and done.  I feel pretty good about how it came out since it appears that I’ve taken care of any bumps, dips or doodles using my temporary battens as a guide.  I’m hoping that if I have taken the frames down to far it won’t pose a serious problem.  Like I said earlier, I was so excited about my batten discovery that I forgot to get pictures.

[Peanut6]

Steps 8-11 deal with hull planking.  I’ve read enough to know that what they are telling me to do is no where near accurate (as if this kit is accurate) and I don’t like the look of it anyway.  I can’t get over the insertion of wedges shown in steps 9 and 10, not to mention the preshaped planks.  Granted I’m very new to the hobby, but it just doesn’t make sense to me to trim the top plank down as shown in step 11.  Whether that would truly be done or not is beyond me.  From the very beginning I knew I wasn’t going to paint the hull.  I just love the look of wood and the contrasts they can present.  So with all that, I’ve decided to try something different.  I’m sure my approach is just as inaccurate but I’ve made up my mind, especially since I can see it when I close my eyes.  I’m going to try to incorporate some best modeling practices, some pseudo accuracy and because I’m not painting my hull I hope that the end result will be more aesthetically pleasing than what is being offered.  I’m going to use the planking they provided, accurate or not regarding size.  I’m going to go 1 plank, bow to transom, not tapering a plank less than half the provided width and work stealers and/or drop planks where I need them.

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Peanut6
additional images

[Peanut6]

If I didn’t know better I would think my photography is improving, even if I do say so myself (I apologize for the self-promotion).  This next set of pictures show bending and attaching my garboard planks.  I have read many posts about how soaking planks makes them much more flexible.  But it doesn’t really hit home until you experience it for yourself.  But the real magic comes when you unclamp the plank after it has dried.  If I was impressed at how flexible a plank becomes after being soaked I’m totally mesmerized by how it keeps it’s shape after it dries and is when unclamped.  That was soooo cool.  I don’t have much else to add other than a thank you to Dan Vad on the heads up about push pins and the modification thereof.  Even though it may be a given to many of you, it was very enlightening and made all the difference for me.  Obviously you can see my fairing and the extra drops of glue I added to the flooring battens.  I also did some touch-up staining on any frame sections that I thought might possibly be visible after the hull planking.

 

[Peanut6]

Now I’m attaching what I’m calling my top planks.  I just couldn’t get over the trimming in Step 11 posted earlier.  I decided to run my planks even with the top the transom, the top of each frame member and the top of the bow cap.  I’m aware that I’m getting a bit of an “upward turn” here and I’ll have to deal with it accordingly.  The only thing I picked up here was using a rubber band in order to get the plank to really wrap around the corner of the bow.

 

[Peanut6]

Well that recreates my original build log as best as can be done.  All my additional posts here will be new content.  Next thing to do is take a few photos showing the additional work done since the last post.  This will represent the current status , and I need to figure out the dialog to accompany them.  All comments are welcome and strongly encouraged.  I Hope my build log style isn’t too cumbersome to read thru.

 

Take care and be safe.

kev

[Peanut6]

Have you ever wondered how you got from where you were to the situation you currently find yourself in?  Well that is me at this moment.  When I got ready to start this post I went back to my text file so that I could continue and that is where I found about a page of gibberish that I couldn’t make heads nor tails of.  The sad thing is I’m the one who wrote it.  I can only guess I was throwing down some thoughts before I took some photos and just stopped right there on the project.

 

I’ll do my best to back fill some info without getting too long.  So it appears I decided to start my planking at the keel, got the garboard planks plus one more on each side.  Also decided I didn’t like the idea of trimming the top plank even with the top of the frames.  Evidently I changed my mind and started going from frame top to keel on my planking and removed my 4 planks from the keel side.  Got the first 7 planks installed and realized/thought I was in deep yogurt, so I took a step back to figure out what I was going to do and/or how to fix my problem . . . . and that is where we are now.  I’ve made a post or three in my reintroduction thread addressing this situation.

 

Since the time of my last post I’ve been cleaning garage dust, spider webs and overall general gunk off my Jolly boat that has accumulated over the last 10 years where she sat in the dark back corner of the workbench that hasn’t seen a cleanliness committed on it’s behalf in far too long.  Also had to find the camera, relearn how to use it.

 

So here are the pictures of where I sit right now.  You can see in the straight on shot of the bow there is an ugliness going on with the last 2 planks on the port side.  No explanation as to why that happened.  If one were to look, you would clearly see that I just didn’t trim down to my marked trim lines and that is why they sit lower to their counterparts on the starboard side.

 

At this point, I believe I know what I could/should do.  But would really like to get some honest feedback and advice from the more experienced modelers here.  Your wisdom is priceless and greatly appreciated.

[Peanut6]

I believe I see the pros and cons of the two options as I see them.  I could carry on with what I have.  That would require me to remove the two planks on the port side and fiddle with them to make it match the starboard side.  The pros would be not wasting the lumber and time I’ve already invested.  The cons would be continuing to chase my error down the rabbit hole hoping to correct it before the final plank.  I’ve been using push-pins to hold the planks in place during bending and gluing.  I really don’t want to continue on with that method as I’ve already split one frame that I had to fix and I’m very concerned it will happen again.  But with the flooring in place and the relationship to the frames I just don’t have any other option that I can see.  Finally the garboard plank just won’t look right and I’m not sure if I’ll have enough plank width for the bending and twisting required.  Plus I’m seeing that trying to trim the plank ends at the bow to accept that piece of the keel will be very challenging to say the least.

 

My other choice would be to remove what I’ve done and start over.  The cons are the time and lumber wasted and I don’t have enough 0.5mm X 5.0mm Ramin strips that came with the kit.  The pros are that I will be able to do it as I should have been done it to begin with.  Starting at the garboard plank and banding to hull in half.  My method of trimming and applying the chamfer to the inside edge was using worked quite well for me.  So I think I only have to knock off the rust, so to speak, to come back up to speed on that.  Finally figuring out my measurement error should enable me not to make the same mistake again, especially if I use the proper techniques in measuring.  And I believe that if I use the flat part of the false keel as a reference point starting at the garboard plank to trim the planks at the bow I’ll establish enough of a run to follow as I get towards the top of the bow where the flat runs out.

 

I can’t seem to find Ramin wood at all let alone strips of any kind to match to match the measurements of those provided in the kit.  I have found a source for a 42 count of 1/16” X 1/4” X 24” Basswood for roughly $20US plus tax and shipping.  The thickness difference IMHO is negligible and I think that the little extra width is not a problem at all, you can always take some away but can’t always put back.  Please share you thoughts regarding the replacement wood choice.

 

Duanelaker, if you could share your method of trimming the planks at the bow to accept the that portion of the keel, it would be greatly appreciated.  I would hate to finally get the planking done to an acceptable level and then mess it all up at that point.

 

Thank you all in advance for your insights/advice, it is greatly appreciated.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

kev

[Duanelaker]

17 hours ago, Peanut6 said:

Duanelaker, if you could share your method of trimming the planks at the bow to accept the that portion of the keel, it would be greatly appreciated.  I would hate to finally get the planking done to an acceptable level and then mess it all up at that point.

Hi Kev! Well to be honest, this was my first ship and I planked it per the directions which were incorrect.  I too was confused with the bow.  I ended up running them long like you did, I then cut them and filed them back so the keel would fit.  I ended up with something like the pic below.  Hope that helps!

[ERS Rich]

Hi,

 

Just jumping in here.....I’ve lived through this. 🤔

 

The general issue here is the planks are not tapered at the fore and aft ends.....so say at the aft end the plank needed to be pulled toward the keel to fit against it’s upper neighbor....notice instead of sweeping up aft into the stern, the shape is a frown...notice at the bow, the plank is sweeping up....

 

The garboard plank is generally thin amidships and fat at the bow....

 

Here was a big idea that helped me understand what can be done with a plank....a plank laid across the bulkheads can only be naturally pressed down onto the neighboring bulkhead (plank sweeps up), or twisted.  Planks cannot be pushed up or down towards the keel or deck because that will warp the plank.

 

So if you find the plank needs to be pulled down, say towards the keel, to fit against it’s neighbor, the plank must be tapered.

 

If a plank is laid and there is a gap, the planked can’t be pushed up or down to close the gap, a filler piece or stealer is needed.

 

So what to do here and now?

 

While the result may not be idea, you can still get a great result with what you have.  
 

Have to go with a painted hull.  Hull planking does not need to be perfect, because it will be viewed from above and down.  And the interior of that boat is where the action is, the viewers eye will be drawn towards the interior.

 

Plank the remainder of the hull with short pieces.  At the stern it looks like it will be wedge shaped planks.  
 

Try dots of CA on the bulkheads and carpenters glue on the edges.
 

Is there a stem piece?  Install if there is.
 

Next sand the hull to smooth the plank edges.  Easy with 150 grit, then 220.  Vacuum the hull and clean it up with rubbing alcohol.

 

Next fill in the gaps.  I like to mask around the gaps and fill with plastic wood - DAP.  Go with very small amounts of filler.  The last thing you want to do is cover the hull with a layer of filler.  A pain in the neck to sand it all off.

 

I would then prime the hull with rattle can shellac.  Rub it out with steel wool.  You’re going for a relatively smooth surface, no major depressions.  Mask and fill again.  
 

At this point I like to use something called Gesso.  Artists use it to seal canvas prior to painting.  It’s an acrylic with fine gypsum.  It’s cheap and easy to apply.  It gives a uniform surface.

 

Then mask and paint as normal.

 

Looking forward to seeing how it goes.  Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by ERS Rich
Grammar

[ERS Rich]

Hi, 

 

About priming with shellac....go with a light coat, too much will form too smooth of a layer....unless that’s the goal.

 

I like to have a little wood texture....to give the viewer a visual clue that they are looking at wood....

 

Wood stain works as well...

 

Thank you

[Peanut6]

Duanelaker, thanks for the info.  It sure looks like you were able to get a nice clean edge to snug up against the bow keel portion.  I figured you had some little trick/secret other than patience and a steady hand, nice job.  Hope I can do the same.  I think I may have a bit of a plan which I'll explain in a future post.

 

ERS Rich, I appreciate your insight and advice.  Especially in the preparation for and painting, definitely processes I will follow .  I had dreams of just staining the exterior hull but that attempt will have to wait for a future build.  I need my skill level to be a lot closer to my dream level.  I was aware of, and had been, tapering my planks.  The cause of the pickle I found myself in was an accumulation of errors on my part.  It really helps to be sure one is measuring the correct span (my major FUBAR committed at the bow end) the proper way (not that big a deal but could have been done better) and accurately (obviously the few hundredths add up quickly on top of the other errors).

 

Thanks again folks, it is greatly appreciated.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

kev  

[ERS Rich]

It took me quite a while to get it....I’m the guy who needs to make all the mistakes before getting it right....

[Peanut6]

After long consideration, and taking everything into account, I've decided that I'm going to replank the hull.  As soon as I run my dry dock purchase order request thru the CFO, I'll be placing my order for the planking material.  Ultimately I feel that getting the planking done properly is more important than just getting the planking done.  I don't want to get into any bad habits or practices that could/would be more costly in a future build than what this little setback will be.  Crossing my fingers I'll be making sawdust (aka man-glitter) in the not to distant future.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

kev  

[Peanut6]

Not abandoning this renewed effort, just waiting on the additional funds necessary, that has been approved by the CFO, to find their way to the dry dock coffers (aka, when Uncle Sam makes our federal tax return a reality or the pandemic stimulus check finds its way to our mail box).  I'm so anxious to get back to the project, but as they say patience is a virtue.  

[Peanut6]

The CFO punched my ticket and the order for my new planking lumber was made Wednesday and processed yesterday.  The company is only 145 miles away so I’m expecting the delivery within the next few days.  Since I restarted this build log I’ve been rereading and restudying any planking literature I can find.  And I’ve picked up many tips and insights from the numerous build logs that I’ve been reading.  If you look carefully at the last set of pictures I posted you can see a few planks where I was getting a clinker affect.  In one of the build logs I read, the builder was having the same issue and a poster informed them that the framing was faired insufficiently.  I went and looked at my Jolly Boat with a more educated eye and could definitely see where my fairing job was lacking.  I can confirm a comment I read basically saying, when you’re done fairing the frame, you only think your done so go back and do it again.  I believe that I want to try and remove the planking one strip at a time.  It would give me a perfect view at each plank/frame union to see exactly where additional fairing is required.  If it came off as a shell I would miss that opportunity.

 

I had a thought yesterday and believe now would be an ideal time to do it but would like to hear what others have to say.  What if I took this opportunity to practice filling in the gaps and sanding/shaping the part of the hull in place?  Since I’ve never done that before and this planking will be removed anyway, I see this as a perfect chance to get my feet wet in this exercise.  Plus I can see if the Elmer’s Interior Wood Filler I have on hand is sufficient to the task.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Peanut6]

Ill-advised or not, I decided to “practice”.  I took a very serious look at the ugliness on the port side and determined that the cause of the clinkering I was getting was not due to inadequate faring.  It was actually because the strakes in question were not adhering to the frame member.  So I went to the starboard side and started my sanding/shaping/trimming.  I was honestly surprised how it turned out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I went on to filling the gaps between the planks.  From mid-ship to bow I used the sawdust and diluted wood glue method.  Wasn’t very excited about how that went.  I wasn’t wasting any time in applying it, but I was having a bear of a time getting it on and worked it into gaps  before it started setting up..  In hind sight I’m sure my “paste” was a little too thick.  From mid-ship aft I used Elmer’s Interior wood filler.  It also started setting up faster than I wanted.  Sanded everything down again and decided to try something I read in another thread.  I wet the wood just a bit before a second application of wood filler  This still didn’t get every little thing but was much better.  I think next time I’ll actually dilute the wood filler to a slurry consistency as I also read elsewhere.  Again I was honestly surprised how it turned out.  But I came into a little something-something at the bow I’ll have to look into, once I’ve removed all the planking.  And for smiles and grins, I applied a coat of Minwax Golden Pecan #245 just to see what that would look like.  Well this is what I ended up with.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

I apologize  for the inconsistent photography, still leaning how changing one little setting on this camera or an open window curtain can really affect the outcome.  I’ll get better, I promise.

[Duanelaker]

Your practice looks outstanding!

[Peanut6]

Thank you very much David, I was very surprised and pleased with how it turned out.  I just hope I can replicate it this go around, without the mistakes of course.  If so, it would really coax me to stain the hull rather than paint it, which was my desire from the start.  My new planking material came in late last week.  I spent one day pulling off what I had and cleaning off the glue residue.  Once I had the frame members all cleaned up I double checked my fairing using a batten I made as described in an earlier post.  Everything seemed to line up/work out fine.  Now with a clean slate I started all over again.  I tried something new.  Or better said, new to me since I'm sure a better mind thought of it first.  I took one of my battens, squared the an end and ran it the full length of each frame, marked the end and cut it off.  Now I had a physical representation of the entire length of each frame member.  I triple checked each batten to make sure I had the correct length cut for each frame this time.  I measured each one . . . twice.  Attached them to a sheet of paper, using clear tape, in order from transom to bow.  With this master reference sheet I figured out how many planks I was going to need and the width of the plank at each frame.  I worked out pretty nice for me as I still had plenty of room for recording measurements and notes/reminders.  Mr. Murphy must live in my attic because nothing is ever easy.  A quick rundown of what I mean:  I couldn't find my scale at .01” increments, nor could I find my box of drafting tools and couldn’t print out my pdf of the planking fan template.  Eventually I was able to scrounge up a protractor (found one in the Boss’s desk, she’ll never miss it) to make my own planking fan and a set of dividers.  My Dad passed away a few months ago and one of the things handed down to me was the compass and divider set he used in high school.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this set is close to 100 years old, as I’m sure he wouldn’t have been able to buy a new set during that time.  I would prefer to use my own but I don’t have much choice, and I’m sure he’s happy knowing it is getting used rather than just sitting in the box at the bottom of some drawer.  So with that, I’ve got the garboard planks on and will have the second starboard plank glued on this afternoon.  Being how the planks sit during bending and gluing at the bow, I can only do one plank a day.  Unless I can find some way to speed up the set time for the wood glue.  With so little done at this point on the replanking, I think I’ll wait to post pics until I reach the same point as on the first go round.

[Peanut6]

I was able to get the first 2 planks (2 on each side) shaped by just soaking and glued down using PVA just as I wanted.  Planks 3 and 4 were more difficult.  I still was able to get them shaped by soaking.  But my frames were starting to look like Swiss cheese with all the push pin holes and I could see that they were wanting to split.  Trying to get the aft end to snug up to the previous plank was tough and wound up popping of 7 flooring pieces, 1 thwart and the bow cap.  Getting that twist in the plank to attach to the aft end of the keel below the transom was a bear of a job.  I didn’t have the right size and/or strong enough clamps to hold it in place.  I finally resolved myself to accepting the fact that I was going to have to use CA, but only at the aft end.  I Strongly suggest builders of the Jolly Boat follow JMaitri’s lead in his build log where he didn’t install the flooring and thwarts until after the planking was complete.  With those items installed it really limits areas where you can use a clamp.  The flip side of course is that it will be harder to install them after the planking is done.  So you can pick your poison.

 

I asked a question on the wood discussion folder regarding the difference between the kit supplied Ramin wood and the basswood I’m using for my second planking.  I was wondering if what I was experiencing was the possible difference in characteristics of the wood or if it was due to planking from garboard up this time.  You can check that out if you wish as there are some details in there I didn't carry over here and vice versa, but the long and short of that thread is I’m now using Chuck’s edge bending technique and "beginners" success.  I showed the Boss what I had achieved in bending the plank (couldn’t help myself) but how it was discoloring the wood which was easily sanded off.  I told her I knew it wasn’t because of the wood and that I did everything I could think of to clean up the plate on the iron.  I knew for sure I was in for it, but she said she was glad to learn about it this way rather than ruining something important next time it was used.  Whew did I get off lucky.  2 days later I got an early Father’s Day present, a travel iron with all the bells and whistles plus a silicone coated plate.  I got plank #5 on combining Chuck’s edge bending technique and a little plank soaking where I couldn’t quite get it right.  The discoloration on the port side #5 plank is the oxidation from the old iron.  Here is where I’m at right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I’ve got some good symmetry going as seen in the bow and transom shots.  Off just a bit but I think once the keel pieces are in place to break things up only an experienced calibrated eye would pick it up.  I’ve got slightly larger gaps between the planks this go around.  I’m guessing my mindset is/was seeing what some wood filler and sanding can accomplish, from my practice on the old hull, things will take care of themselves when that time comes.  Measurements and math say that I’m still on track to do this in 10 planks per side and not have to violate the “no narrower than half a plank” rule or use any steelers.  Now that I’m past the need to twist the planks at the aft end I’m hope things more along a bit faster.  Though I've found that if I have too many consecutive successes, I get to going to fast and have way too many "senior moments" so I have to pace myself just so I don't create more work.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Peanut6]

Oh there’s trouble in paradise.  I was in the process of installing plank 18 of 20 when I noticed something at the transom didn’t look quite right.

 

 

 

Take notice of the chamfer at the top of the transom.  Yup, I installed the transom backwards.  The lower edge of the chamfer should be on the inboard side, not on the outboard side.  This is important because in a couple steps the aft thwart is installed, it needs to rest upon transom and keel upright.  I realized that if the orientation of the transom is important, what about the frames.  Yup, sure enough, there is a slight angle at the top of each one except #5 which is horizontal.  You can see on frames #8 and #7 in the picture.  Other than aesthetics, I don’t see a structural purpose except for #2 and the transom.  The bow cap attaches to #2.  Somehow I got that one correct and you can’t get #5 wrong, all the others are installed backwards.  I’ll go back and edit my frame to keel step to inform future builders what to look for.  The angle is very subtle and it can be seen in the plans but, if you’re paying more attention to getting the frames in the correct order as I was, you won’t notice it.  There isn’t a mention of this subtlety in the instructions nor do I recall it being brought up in any build logs I’ve read on the Jolly Boat.  It really makes me wonder how many others made this mistake and didn’t notice or just knew what to look out for.  After much thought and looking thru the next few steps, I’ve decided to leave the frame members be.  I think that if I try to modify them I’ll make a mess of things and that would be noticed but only an experienced eye would catch things as they are.  As for the transom, the only thing I see is using my Dremel with the same sanding disc I use for trimming my planks and sand down the inboard edge to match the angle of the keel upright.  I’m going to do this before I install the last two planks so that I have complete and easy access to the transom.  I was thinking I’d have to restain the exposed surface but I believe all of it will be covered.  Guess I’ll know when I get it done.

[Peanut6]

FINALLY!!!  I got the whiskey plank installed.  As I had hoped, once I got past the flat portion of the keel and onto the transom, the planking went much easier.  I’m of the belief that the difficulty I was having with the first few planks was due to the contours of the hull rather than the difference in the wood from 1^st attempt and this time.  I wound up having to use CA at all points on the last 2 planks per side because there just wasn’t any place for clamps.  I went ahead and trimmed the planking even with the transom and the slot at the bow for the keel installation.  Even though I still have the wales and bulwarks to install I’m calling the hull planking complete.  It isn’t all that good but I did achieve my goal of not using any steelers or drop planks plus I believe the symmetry isn’t that bad.  Still had a few stretches where I must have not faired the frames as well as I should have because there is a bit of clinkering.  I hope it comes out nicely when I do the sanding and doesn’t leave some areas too thin.  I'll begin the gap filling, sanding and some touch-up staining in a couple spots tomorrow.  Would greatly appreciate any comments and/or suggestions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another advisory note:  At this point I would suggest the builder strongly consider tapering-sanding down the planks that attach at the false keel to be even/level with the false keel.  I'm talking the bottom 5 planks shown in the aft view above.  The reason for my suggestion comes at a later step where you are installing the gudgeons for the rudder.  In my build I just couldn't position the bottom gudgeon due to the geometry at that location.  The surface differential from the stern post to the planks kept pushing the gudgeon off the back end and making is slip down towards the keel.  In other builds I've those who possess mad metal bending skills where they were able to bend the gudgeon at just the right spot and at just the perfect angle to enable the gudgeon to sit so nice . . . . I don't possess those skills.  I decided to sand down the planks from the transom down toward the keel to give a smooth transition from the stern post to the planks and the gudgeon just slipped into place like it belonged there, which of course it does.  I scruffed up my stern post and keel just a bit during the sanding process, which required some staining touch up after the fact.  So unless you also possess mad metal working skills, now is the time to do that sanding before the keel and stern post are installed.  Here is a pic of what I'm talking about.

 

 

You can really see the difference between this view and the aft view in the picture above.  Hope this helps.

 

Edited October 12, 2021 by Peanut6
added advisory note

[Peanut6]

Here is the current status of my little Jolly Boat.  I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos.  Some days I’m able to get decent close ups and good color and other days it just isn’t happening.  These have good color but just couldn’t seem to get good close ups.  At least that way you can’t really see how poorly the wales and bulwarks came out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now begins my “1 step forward, 2 steps back” series of events.  Went thru a few rounds of applying wood filler and sanding the hull before I applied Minwax Golden Pecan #245 stain to the hull.  Got the keel pieces installed after staining with Minwax Red Oak #215 to match the false keel, frame members and transom.  Shaped and trimmed the wales prior to applying Minwax Red Oak #215 to match the false keel, frame members, transom and keel pieces.  Bulwarks were shaped, trimmed and then stained using Minwax Golden Pecan #245 to match the hull prior to installation.  Without going into detail (if desired they can be provided so we all can have a good laugh and roll of the eyes), here are some things that I learned, relearned or that came up during this phase of my build.

 

Know the product you’re using.  Read and remember all of the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines.  Such as, does the wood filler you’re using take a stain?  And when the instructions tell you not to sand between stain coatings there is a good reason, even if it has had 24 hours to dry since the last application.  Does the CA you’re using really grab a hold after just a couple seconds even though the instructions say it takes 30 seconds to set and 30 minutes to cure?  Be aware that what ever condition the exterior of the hull is in, the interior will be a mirror image.  What is a high spot on the exterior will be a low spot on the interior, a gap filled on the exterior will still be present on the interior, etc.  These things are very visible with an open interior hull such as my Jolly Boat.  PVA doesn’t adhere for very long on oil based stained pieces.  It seems to do fine when one piece is stained and the other piece is bare wood as I had no problem using it to attach bare wood hull planks to the stained frame members, false keel and transom.  Stain can actually bleed thru 1/16” thick basswood clear to the other side.  This can be seen in the following photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My intention was to only stain the exterior of the bulwarks but the stain bled through.  Then I hoped I could get away with both sides being stained.  But then I finally  saw other sections of the hull where the stain bled through and it just looked awful.  So I’m going to try and stain the interior of the planks and the deck using cotton swabs (Q-Tips).  I hope that I can remove any stain that gets on other pieces quickly so that it doesn’t foul up their appearance.

 

I’m currently fiddling with the aft thwart and bulwark.  I got the thwart cut to perfect size (IMHO) by making a template out of card and using it to cut the thwart.  Surprised myself by getting it done the first time.  Now the aft bulwark is a different story.  I’ve made 4 attempts and just don’t have it quite right.  I know I’ve got to use CA to attach it.  So I’ve got to get the perfect fit such that it will just slip right in first try without leaving any gaps.  I won’t have time for any adjustment because the CA grabs it so quickly.  I’m think I’ll try to figure out a way I can make a template, similar to the thwart process, and see if that helps.

 

I’m walking the fine line of major disappointment and convincing myself that since this is my first build things aren’t going to be perfect.  And above all else to have fun and enjoy the project to completion in spite of myself.  Asked the Boss’s opinion regarding the interior staining mentioned earlier.  During the conversation she said that I should probably pick out another boat as a Christmas present, just so that I'd have something to do.  Ya’ gotta love that!  I told her I had the Oseberg sitting on my hobby tool chest but I didn’t think I was near ready to take on that project and I should pick  something a bit easier.  She told me to let her know what I’ve decided.

 

As always, I’m open to any and all questions plus eager to hear your feedback and/or suggestions which would be greatly appreciated.