Phantom by lraymo - Model Shipways - 1:96 scale - New York Pilot Boat

[SkiBee]

I used a chisel blade for vertical cut after I scored the side of the hull with a curved #22 blade. It worked really nicely, I was afraid to use the chisel blade to cut the horizontal. Refer to my build log. Good work 

[lraymo]

Finally finished the "Step", using several different blades, needle file, sandpaper, and wood filler to help smooth out the edges.  It's not perfect, but it looks ok to me, so I'm moving on.  Thanks for all the suggestions and the encouragement!  This was slow going, and I'll probably do a bit more filing, but it's essentially done.  Next up is the sternpost, stem, and keel (made it to page 4! Whee-ha!)

 

Fixed the stern

The bow looks better now too!

[Keith Black]

Looks good, Lynn. You'll be painting the hull before you know it. 

[lraymo]

Rudder confusion!  In reading ahead, it says its now good time to drill the hole for the rudder.  What hole are they talking about?  In the instructions, it talks about the rudder being held in place with pintles and gudgeons glued to the stern post.  So I am confused about what hole needs to be drilled (and where?)    Also, it says to use a 3/16" diameter bit.  What size is that?  I have a set of bits that go from 61 thru 80.  And another bit that is 55.  Would any of these work?  And what goes into the hole after its drilled?   I'm confused!

[Keith Black]

 I think (somebody back me up) the top of the rudder is shaped round with a piece of 3/16 dowel attached at the top to fit into the 3/16/ .1875 drilled hole. (Thank you, Ryland)

Below are a couple of good vids. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Keith Black

[Ryland Craze]

Lynn, a 3/16" drill bit is 0.1875" wide.  The hole to be drilled is only 1/8" (0.125") deep and it is located on the bottom of the overhang at the stern.  As the instructions state, be careful not to drill through the hull.  The top of the rudder will fit in this hole.

[Keith Black]

16 minutes ago, Ryland Craze said:

Lynn, a 3/16" drill bit is 0.1875" wide

 

 Ryland, thank you. It's 1. not 10 divided by 16.....*see Keith dope slap his forehead.

 Poor Lynn, I bet I had her scratching her head wondering what the heck Keith's smoking. 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Keith Black

[SkiBee]

@lraymo  For a 3/16 hole, your going to use a regular wood drill bit, not one of the small ones you have.  A 3/16 inch bit would be equivalent to a #13 gauge drill bit.  

 

The following web page provides a conversion chart for gauge size to inch and mm.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit_sizes

 

Before you drill a hole for the rudder to pivot on, measure the rounded end that will fit in the hole.  You might need a bit smaller or bigger than a 3/16"

Good Luck

[SkiBee]

@lraymo you asked:

Rudder confusion!  In reading ahead, it says its now good time to drill the hole for the rudder.  What hole are they talking about? 

 

See instruction page 10, your drilling the hole for the very top of the rudder, see the part of the rudder in the blue circle.

[lraymo]

Thanks, but still confused! You all have given me lots of info and numbers (and I learned alot from the videos!), but nothing corresponds to this list of drill bits. Which of these do I need to get?   (Sorry to be dense!)

For the rudder, it says to use a 3/16” diameter bit.

For the launching way, it says to drill holes for the 1/16” brass keel pins.

Which of these drill bits should I buy?

[EricWilliamMarshall]

Most sets of drill bits from a box store will have this kind of drill bit. A quick search on Amazon reveals this selection:

 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=3%2F16+drill+bit&crid=364OHUBBRUYWX&sprefix=3%2F16%2Caps%2C72&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_4

The numbers used in the image you shared are for tiny drill bits (needle sized). Bigger ones are in fractions of inch (or metric).

Keep at it!

[SkiBee]

@lraymo Drill bit size can be very confusing.  Below is a picture of a 4 different bits.  You can see that a 3/16 inch drill bit is larger than what bits you have.  I have not seen a model tool drill bit set that has a 3/16 inch drill bit.  That is why I recommended just going to a hardware store like Ace or Home Depot and buying just the 3/16 inch bit.  (Side Note: I did not drill the hole for the rudder to fit in since I cut the rudder to short for it to go up into the hull, so I sanded it to just fit in and will glue it in place.)

For the mounting pins that go in the launch way, I used a 1/16 inch bit that I had in a wood bit set, from a 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch.  You can see from the picture that a #55 bit that you have, it is close to a 1/16th inch bit.  I would recommend trying it first and see if the pin goes in without to much trouble.  If the pin does not go in easily then try to widen the hole by using the #55 drill bit like a file to open up the hole until the pin fits.  If not then you will have to buy a 1/16 inch bit or a #52 bit.

 

What is extra confusing is the Micro Mark drill bit kit you pictured is sized for drilling tap holes that are sized to match the screw that would go into the hole.

 

If this is still confusing, send me a message via the web site.

[Keith Black]

16 minutes ago, SkiBee said:

(Side Note: I did not drill the hole for the rudder to fit in since I cut the rudder to short for it to go up into the hull, so I sanded it to just fit in and will glue it in place.)

 

 SkiBee/Lynn..........couldn't the rudder be cut short and sanded to fit as SkiBee did and then drill a smaller hole into the top of the rudder, glue in a pin matching the hole size with a piece of brass wire or a brass nail with the head cut off and then attach to the bottom of the hull after drilling a hole to accept the pin?

[SkiBee]

Keith, yes you could use a pin for the rudder to rotate on, I just didn't see the need for the rudder to move on this model. Personal choice.

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, SkiBee said:

yes you could use a pin for the rudder to rotate on

 

 Not to rotate on but to help keep it held in position after glueing. A pin is just insurance to help make sure it doesn't come loose. 

[lraymo]

Thanks everyone!  @EricWilliamMarshall I bought a small drill set on Amazon, @Keith Black the pin idea will work out well for the rudder, and @SkiBee I appreciated the visual!   I've finally gotten an idea of what I need to do.  I actually have much more work to do, before I even need the drills (perhaps I shouldn't have read ahead!)  Anyway, thanks!  

[EricWilliamMarshall]

22 minutes ago, lraymo said:

perhaps I shouldn't have read ahead!)

You should read ahead - more fear that way! Just joking; I find I need some time for somethings to soak in before doing them.

[Keith Black]

 Lynn, reading ahead makes for planning ahead and that's a very good thing. Keep at it.

[Keith Black]

Lynn, where are you? it's too cold to be playing golf. 

[lraymo]

Hi Keith!  You're too funny!  I've been too busy to do much on the model (how did I ever find time to work???  Retirement shouldn't be this busy!)

As it so happens, i finally got some time to work on the stem and sternpost.

Glued the pieces of wood together for the stem as described, cut out a reasonable facsimile, and glued it on.  Some gaps, but I actually felt good about how it fit.  Then using  @SkiBee's blog as an example, I used wood filler to smooth and fill in the gaps.  Right now it looks really rough, but after it dries, and I do some serious sanding, it should turn out ok.  Then i just need to add the keel, sand & paint!

I do have a question though.   I drew a waterline, but it was mostly guesswork, and after I prime and paint, I'll need to recreate the line.  Are there any good tips for creating a waterline?

 

 

[Keith Black]

Lynn, go to the home page and in the search box enter 'marking the waterline'. There are several builds where folks show how they marked the waterline.

 

 Nice to see you making good progress. And you're right, I don't have a clue how I found the time to hold down a full time job. To recruit new employees Walmart is offering a $5,000.00 sign up bonus. I thought about it for a split second but I figured the 'nap' clause I'd have to negotiate in my contract wouldn't be worth the trouble. 

[lraymo]

Thanks, I found several good tips on marking the waterline.   After nap time tomorrow (an important part of any day!), I'll have to try some of the techniques!

[lraymo]

Sanded the hull, primed it, and sanded again.  Still see a few bumps and blips, so more sanding is in order.  Then I'll be ready to paint it using the black paint from the kit.  I'd like it to have a bit of a sheen on it, so I'm thinking I'll also add a layer of Clear Satin from the previous kit.

I didn't prime the deck yet.    Wanting to get the outer hull finished first.  I'm also concerned about the coppering.  I asked SkiBee what length should be used for each plate.  I'm thinking 3/16", but I don't really know.

 

I also need to clean up and organize my work space!  Yikes!

 

[Keith Black]

Very nice, Lynn. 

[Tigersteve]

The hull is looking good!

Steve

[lraymo]

Had to pack up the workshop (a.k.a. kitchen table) for the holidays, so I won't be getting much done till January.  But I did try to cut the pieces for the Launching Ways, only to realize my ability to cut accurate 3" pieces of wood isn't very good!   Some longer, some shorter than needed, so I tried to even them all out using a razor saw, but still didn't get really good accurate cuts.  Figured they'll be ok, but not happy with my inability to make precise cuts!

Initial attempt:

Tried to trim the ends... still not great, but will have to do for now.

Workshop packed up.

After Christmas festivities, I'll be able to use the table again! 

 

[turangi]

Paper plates on the lap would work fine! No table needed.

[Keith Black]

You have a lovely home, Lynn. Thank you for inviting us in. 

 

 It's not clear to me why you're having the problem cutting three inch pieces? Are you using a metal ruler to measure? A tape measure is OK for building shelves but more accuracy is needed when working in these small scales. I suggest purchasing a machinist ruler as shown. The one I own has tenths of an inch marked but I don't think you'll find that useful for the scales you'll be working with. 

 

 Instead of cutting each piece individually, try to gang cut them. If you can stack all the pieces together like a brick, they you can cut all of them together. Once you have all the pieces made into a brick, keep them together by wrapping them with masking tape. Clamp a piece of wood to the left side of the work surface (if you're right handed, right side if left handed) to act as a stop. You butt the pieces up against the stop to steady them when cutting. 

 

 This should insure that they're all the same length. They maybe a bit off but they'll all be off the same amount. 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Keith Black

[Cathead]

Keith's suggestion is good, you can set up a pretty simply jig using a clamp and a piece of wood as a stopper at the right length; just butt the piece to be cut against the stopper and you'll know that the saw is working in the right place.

 

As another option, I strongly recommend the Northwest Short Line chopper:

 

 

It's excellent at making accurate, consistent-length cuts at various angles. I even use it for pieces that are too thick for it to cut on its own, by using the blade to mark each piece accurately. The divot made by the razor blade becomes a natural guide for a razor saw.  But if I'm right about the scale of the pieces you're showing, the Chopper would make short and accurate work of them, one after another.

 

I'm not a big tool collector overall, but this one is simple, affordable, and fantastically useful for all sorts of modeling applications, which inevitable require that you cut small parts to consistent lengths (or angles).

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Cathead

[lraymo]

18 hours ago, Keith Black said:

You have a lovely home, Lynn. Thank you for inviting us in. 

 

 It's not clear to me why you're having the problem cutting three inch pieces?

Thanks Keith!  I'm embarrassed to say that my "accuracy" problem is mostly from being too fast and too sloppy in my measurements!