Took a 24-lb Shot Below Waterline on Starboard Side

[drjeckl]

Unbeknownst to the captain, who was below deck asleep, the Lady Nelson, overnight, took a direct hit below the waterline on the starboard side.  Fortunately, she was in dry dock, undertaking commissioning work on the entire hull and didn't sink.  Here's what the damage looked like in the light of day:

 

 

No one could determine how this damage was sustained but the authorities were reportedly investigating the dry dock ship to the starboard side of the LN.  The architect was summoned to the dock to give his plan for repairing this portion of the hull.

 

Nope, I'm too embarrassed to say how this happened.  Trust the reporting.  So I thought that wood filler would be the solution, but after sanding it down, I was left with less material than what I started with, even thinning the 1st planking.

 

As painful as it is, the only and worse case solution I can come up with is to cutout both layers of planking between Bulkheads #7 and #9 and Planks #1 through #5, leaving a open rectangle and room on each bulkhead to lay in 1st and 2nd planking planks.

 

I'm hoping the experts on this site have some better ideas to dig me out of the hole!

 

.John

[Chuck Seiler]

Blame the cat.

[PietFriet]

Maybe build it up with strips of fineer and then sand it back into shape?

I would avoid cutting a hole as the wood over such a short distance may not follow the shape. The torsion would be my concern.

Edited April 16, 2021 by PietFriet

[allanyed]

If the area is to be painted or coppered, filler should work.  If not, I would remove the outer layer of planking for those strakes in question from the stern post to the first butts forward for each strake.    You could then fill and fix the inner layer with filler or new pieces of plank,  then put new planking for the second layer.    It looks like the ends of the planks get narrower which is opposite of what they would normally be.  May be the camera angle, but just curious about this.

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by allanyed

[Roger Pellett]

Bondo!

[drjeckl]

Thanks for the many ideas.  I'll report back on what technique I used.  Yes, most, if not all of this area will be painted white (should have said that in the first post).  I have another question for you:  I've pretty much made a mess of the keel and stern post. These were in a 3mm walnut laser-cut sheet 60mm x 300mm that came with the kit.  How successful do you think I will be in asking the reseller (Wooden Model Ship Kit) or the manufacturer (Amati) to sending me a replacement sheet?  Not sure I want to do the stern post yet, but the keel piece is easy for me to replace.  Is there any site that would stock model laser-cut sheets?

 

Thanks...John

[VTHokiEE]

1 hour ago, drjeckl said:

These were in a 3mm walnut laser-cut sheet 60mm x 300mm that came with the kit.

Do you think that you might be able to remake these parts from the scrap wood in the sheet? I don't know if they will sell you another sheet and it certainly can't hurt to ask but the turn around time might be such that you'd rather try to remake it yourself.

[allanyed]

John

I agree with the previous post from VtH.  If you have the tools, you could make your own and won't have to use walnut which is really not the best wood for a ship model even though many kits use it.  The color is usually inconsistent and rather  dark and it is much to porous unless you are using black walnut which is less porous.   Walnut is a respiratory irritant and actually causes rashes on some people as it has natural herbicides (all walnut species have jugalone which is  a toxic compound) that fight off the growth of other plants near by.   Ma nature does not forget plants when it comes to self preservation.   If you must use walnut and have to do any sanding, an N95 mask is highly recommended and for any wood sanding it is best to have a dust collection system running at the spot where you are sanding to collect most of the particles.   Even hanging the hose of a shop vac a few inches from where you are sanding works well.   I love walnut for furniture and squares of a chess board as well as jewelers boxes, but models, not so much.

Edited April 16, 2021 by allanyed

[drjeckl]

It was a small sheet to begin with and I had used some it already so there isn't enough to try to make it myself.  I already sent an email to the reseller, so we'll see.

 

The only material I have would require gluing a three 2mm x 4mm beech strips together and then a lot of sanding and shaping.  What about build up those pieces with wood filler in situ and then sand and shape?  Will that survive?  Most of those pieces will be painted.

 

.John

[drjeckl]

16 hours ago, Chuck Seiler said:

Blame the cat.

Sorry, I like my story better.  More relevant.

[drjeckl]

OK, Just to recall, this was the damage:

 

So I cleared out to the rudder post and squared off the 2nd planking that took the brunt of the hit (PL#1 through PL#5).  Then I removed the damaged 1st planking planks that were between BH #9 and BH #8 which was a little right of the marking in the above picture:

 

Then I installed 3 x 1st planks and 1 x stealer:

 

My mentor, whose videos on the LN build were on Facebook, advised to plank over the deadwood with the 1st planking.  As I now know, doing that causes the 2nd planks there will be proud to the rudder post.  So to avoid that here, I'm thinking to remove the 1st planks in the deadwood are as shown behind the arc in red above.  To balance the appearance between starboard and port sides, I'll sand down the 2nd planks on the port side to match. 

 

Advice/Comments appreciated.  Also, as shown in the 2nd photo, any advice on straightening the edges on the 2nd planks that remain and border the edges of the visible 1st planks.  Really tough to get in there with a file or a very thin sanding stick.  Or just re-cut until I get a straight edge?

 

Thanks...John