Marie Jeanne by dirkske - Billing Boats - 1:50

[dirkske]

This will be a slooooow build. And my very first on top of it. Wish me luck as I will need it 😋

 

Edit: Note that as far as I know the first French Dundee's date of late 19th century. Thus I picked this subforum. If best in later period, admins please move (sorry in that case).

[dirkske]

Currently I'm getting my bearings on the kit.  

 

Let me start with a question on fitting the hull planks.

My initial line of thought was that the line indicated with the red arrow was where the hull planks meet with the keel. 

 

 

While this seem possible at the bow, that does not add up at the stern.  Thus, I must be misinterpreting them. 

 

 

 

What do those lines indicate? Is it the start where to taper the keel frame to, say, 1/3 thickness?

[Keith Black]

Dirk, great to see you've started a build log.

 

 There is a search function top right, if you search "Marie Jeanne" you'll see several build logs of the MJ, I've attached one as an example though it is a Artesania Latina kit and not a Billings Boat kit but you'll see several MJ BB build logs. Please take a look through those build logs and you'll see how others handled points in their builds that you may have questions about. 

 

 

 

[DanB]

Good luck with your build.! I am very new to building model boats, but one thing I can tell you so far is that slow is very good.  Taking time to look at plans,  read the instructions over and over and also taking the time to just enjoy each step has been a great help. Look at other build logs for your ship and also for similar ships. I have learned a lot from other's logs and they have been very helpful with understanding unclear parts of the instructions and in avoiding some mistakes. 

 

Dan

 

 

 

[dirkske]

Aligning the first former after sanding the keel to thickness accepting all the formers with a very faint friction fit.

 

I am still missing a level, or even flat, building bench. This due to a recent (and still ongoing) house rebuild.  So, as a stopgap I levelled a leftover board using, again, leftover adustable IKEA cabinet feet.  Next I used the same laser to level the first bulkhead.

 

 

Turned the lot 180deg around and so it continues.

 

Edited December 25, 2021 by dirkske

[Baker]

Leftovers or not. 

Good start 👍

[G.L.]

The start of a new project is always an exciting moment. I signed up to follow your log.
Zeer veel succes toegewenst (Wishing you a lot of success)!

[Wintergreen]

Clever to use adjustable feet and a laser level to get square and fair.

About the dotted lines you were asking about. I think they are the so called bearding line and rabbet. See this thread for a picture a couple posts down:

Good luck!

[dirkske]

Thank you Wintergreen 👍

Unfortunatly I allready started framing, thus chiselling this out will be difficult.  Ah well, difficult is not impossible.... 🙈

[dirkske]

Current state, next will be an attempt to make/recess that bearding line.

 

 

 

 

[Wintergreen]

"Everything is possible. The impossible just takes a bit longer" 😉 

With a small sharp chisel I think you will find a way.

Keep it up!

[dirkske]

I recessed the ?bearding? line along the bow.  Also sanded the frames.

 

I gave a shot at bending the first plank. And look and behold, what is likely commen practice and utterly boring to most of you is giving me such joy.

 

The plank sits in place, curved, without any persuation 😁  

 

 

I uses my plane covering iron again, but need to give it a good clean. The covering glue residue rubs off on the planks.

 

 

Does anyone use a heated bed from an old 3D printer as baseboard for these bending operations?  It might help heating the planks more equally from both sides. Or are the planks typically soaked tranferring the heat more easily in depth?

 

It does seem to work when heating from a single side. But it would not hurt being able to shorten the heating duration.

 

 

Did I mention this build will be a slow one? 😋

[Keith Black]

 Dirk, congratulations on getting the first plank in place. May the rest of the planks bring you as much joy as the first. 

[Wintergreen]

Looking good Dirk.

Check out one of the moderators here, Chuck P on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPncZte1NZzmc-n7AMS7z6A

He has a set of instructional videos about plank bending.

Also, be careful with too much soaking since the planks change size quite a bit. Depending on species of course, but anyway.

 

Keep it up!

[dirkske]

53 minutes ago, Wintergreen said:

Looking good Dirk.

Check out one of the moderators here, Chuck P on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPncZte1NZzmc-n7AMS7z6A

He has a set of instructional videos about plank bending.

Also, be careful with too much soaking since the planks change size quite a bit. Depending on species of course, but anyway.

 

Keep it up!

Apparently there should be no need to moisten the thinner strips.  I may need to upgrade to a hotter iron.  But this one is very practical being so small in size.  Maybe I'll just stick with it and live with having to apply heat longer.

[Baker]

Nice start,

In case you didn't find them yourself. Some links on the forum about planking.

 

https://thenrg.org/resources/Documents/articles/PlankBending.pdf

https://modelshipworld.com/forum/98-planking-downloads-and-tutorials-and-videos/

[LeoM]

Looks great Dirk, I will be following your build with pleasure!

[nemosdogs1]

Greetings.  I am also building the kit and wonder if anyone out there is familiar with the plans.  i can’t seem to figure out what the numbers in circles mean (see photo).  I suspect they have something to do with rigging?  Any ideas?

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi nemosdogs1, welcome to the forum. Make sure you head on over to the new members thread and introduce yourself. The numbers inside the circles on the drawing you are showing will also be on another drawing showing the sails and rigging. I think Billings calls this drawing “General Arrangements”. The corresponding number inside a circle will be pointing at the rigging that attaches to the pin or cleat shown on your drawing. Sometimes they are printed very lightly and are hard to see. Good luck with your build.