Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack by DanB - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:24

[DanB]

This will be my third model and my second build log. I have looked at a lot of the other great build logs for this kit, as the logs were a great help in building the Norwegian Sailing Pram. I'm starting this with a bit of trepidation after looking at the logs!

 

I did and inventory of the kit and everything seems to be present. I have found this to be very helpful in getting familiar with the kit and the various parts. 

 

Central spine 

 

I made sure all the spacers fit well into the slots. It took a bit of sanding the spacers.

 

 

 

The starboard spine piece which I think is on sheet 5, not sheet 3 as the manual says), is really thin!  The glue causes it to curl away from the other pieces. I used lots of clamps instead of weighting it on a flat surface. It was easier to check the alignment at the tops of the pieces that way. Checking it later, even with all the clamps and what seemed like enough glue, there were a few spots that need a bit more glue and clamping when I attached the smaller third piece 

 

 

 

 

[DanB]

 Centerboard

 

 

When built the Pram, I was really worried about annealing the brass. I watched Youtube  videos of people who reload their brass shell casings annealing ends of them (who knew?) and watched videos of annealing brass tubes for trumpets using big blow torches. Finally, though I figured out that it was not such a big deal. Holding the small brass rod with a pair of pliers and heating in the burner of our gas stove  until the end glowed red worked fine. A slate coaster worked well as a place to let it cool down. Once the rod was soft, it was a lot easier to bend the loop and the hook. The diagram in manual makes the loop look pretty small. I figured out later that I made it too small and my tooth pick handle would not fit though the loop, so I made it a bit bigger. 

 

 I painted the centerboard as suggested on  some other very helpful logs.  The manual does not say to glue in the tiny pivot rod, but if you enlarge the pictures in the PDF it looks like there is a touch of CA there. I glued it in , and it was much easier to use the pivot to work with the centerboard and the handle  and  see the spots where the slot for the rod needed to be enlarged a bit. I used a round needle file and some sand paper and was really careful because the wood is so thin.

 

 

 

 

More fiddling and sanding the slot on the other side was needed to get the centerboard to travel the entire length of the slot. Even so,  I could not fully raise it but let it be. I will want to show the centerboard  and, I was worried I would break the other central spine piece if I was too aggressive enlarging the slot.  I glued the other spine piece on and managed not to glue the centerboard to it  (almost though!).

 

When I took the clamps off, I noticed the spine was a bit high at the stern, unglued the last bit with some alcohol of it and repositioned it. 

 

[DanB]

Reinforcing Pieces and Bulkhead frames. 

 

I spent a lot of time adjusting the bulkhead frames. Number 4 needed to the the slot for the support piece deepened. Most  of the others needed a bit of filing to get them to sit level and  square in the slots. Several were too wide at the bottom of the spine piece. In some other build logs some  people made shims to close the gap, others did not. I did not shim them as was concerned it would be more difficult to align them. I think the numbers on the bulkheads face aft. (not clear form the manual ) It does not matter for most I think except the 9 th one which is at an angle-- it fit better that way and lined up with the top of the spine.  

 

Trial fit before glue:

 

 

 

I have started gluing each one in using a square to check them, and adjusting the fit some more just prior to gluing each one in and then checking the alignment again  after gluing them .  So far, so good.

Edited January 24, 2022 by DanB

[DanB]

Gluing Bulkhead Frames, Transom and Seat supports

 

 

 

It does not look like much has changed. I took a long time to adjust the frames so I could get them level and square to the spine before gluing them in. The 90 degree square from the Pram was really helpful in getting them square since is is small and light. 

 

The instructions say to glue the cockpit floor but they don't say at what level and the pictures are not clear. It was only after trying to fit the seat supports in that I figured out, I had glued it too high and it needs to be sitting on the spine so the supports wind up level with the bulkhead. Lots of alcohol and patience were need  to reposition it!.

 

The transom was not hard to assemble off the model, but with its bulkhead fully seated in the slot, it was too low, and too far from the stern part of the spine. I filed and fiddled with it, tried to get it square, and  glued it in. Then I started sanding it as instructions direct. It still seemed off and that I would be removing a lot of the transom. I tried fitting the deck to see how it would meet the transom and it was clear that it was, still not high enough or close enough to the spine.  I would run out of deck a bit before the transom. More alcohol, more work on the slots for the transom !  It was difficult to get the transom square and level, and I think it will still need more sanding.  

 

The moveable centerboard has become stuck and immoveable (despite widening the slot for the handle) Looks like I will have fixed centerboard. 

 

I am not sure why there are minimal or no drawings in these kits. The pictures in the instructions are great,  but surely they must have had drawings of the boats to design and  build the prototypes. I am new to all of this, but it seems like one of the skills that is needed to build more complex models is to be able to look at plans and drawings to figure out how to build the model and they belong even in a beginner kit. I am also surprised how much work was needed on the laser cut parts to get them to fit correctly. 

 

I thinkI may  need to take a few days off from this boat!

 

 

 

[DanB]

Deck

 

i tried to carefully fit one side and glue it down as per the instructions but then noticed that the slots in the deck did not align with the slots in the bulkheads where the coaming will go and it was also a bit out too far forward when I placed the other half on and compared its position. It was also a bit further in from the edge of the bulkheads. It was not far off and I might have been able to correct for it , but I decided to try to fix it. More alcohol to unglue it all: I am getting good at that. 

 

I gave it a rest and took the weekend off for a planned trip  to Seattle to see my granddaughter"s first cheerleading completion.

 

Today I took another shot at the deck. Glued one side and then glued the other alost immediately to check the alignment.  I think I got much closer than my first try-- still a bit off. 

 

 

I started faring the bulkheads and attaching the keel pieces. 

 

[DanB]

Garboards

 

I started the planking and have the garboards glued in place. I soaked each one for 5 minutes and used clamps and rubber bands to hold it to the boat as it dried. That seemed to work pretty well. I bought the model shipways plank bender, as they suggested it with the kit, but I am not sure how helpful will really be. It may be useful to wet the planks again and use the plank bender  to adjust any places where the plank is still not following the the curve prior to gluing it it. These planks curve a lot more than the planks  on the other models in the series. Looking at the shape of the garboard plank, I am really glad they supplied laser cut planks. I have read about how to mark out the hull and the shape  the planks, but its nice to have them already shaped so I can just focus on bending them to fit the curves of the hull, 

 

[DanB]

Planking  - Strakes 1 and 2

 

I have been using the procedure in the manual: soak the planks for 5 minutes and then use rubber bands and a few clamps to hold them to the boat while they dry. This  gets the shape pretty close. The garboard and the first strake were pretty rough, but then I figured out that I could fine tune the fit a bit more by wetting the plank again and using a hair dryer to help curve it to close the gap between planks. I also learned to be really careful cutting them at the stern rabbet, as I cut the second one too short on one side and then bent it too much to get it to meet the rabbet. I am now cutting them a bit long and using a file and sanding sticks to fine tune the fit just before I glue them down.  There would have been a big gap at the rabbet and at  the third plank. I removed the aft part of that plank and made another using the cut out form the laser carrier sheet as a guide. It looks much better. One build log mentioned gluing the planks  in with PVA  glue on seams between planks a drop of CA on the bulkheads and  that seems to be working well. I feel like I am getting better at this with each strake, but I think wood filler is going to be my new best friend. 

 

 

Strake 3 = Put to bed to dry overnight

 

[druxey]

As well as elastic bands, try to get the planks tighter together using clips on the bulkheads. It will save a lot of filling and sanding!

[GGibson]

Hi Dan - Looks really good so far!  Congrats on meeting the challenge!  Regarding your earlier concern about the deck placement and the ability for the coaming to fit properly, I had that same issue on mine (I was really frustrated on how poorly the two deck sides fit, not sure if that was a design issue or my poor construction).  I took an exacto knife to the bulkheads that I needed to create more of a "gap" for the coaming to fit properly.

 

Planking is always challenging to me.  I am getting to that point now again on the Ballahoo I am currently working on and dreading how well I'll be able to do. I wholeheartedly agree, though, with druxey's suggestion of using rubber bands AND spring clamps to help press planks together.  Take a look back on my Lobster Smack build log entry #12.  You'll see that I wasn't shy about using a bunch of spring vises to assist with the planking process.  But, yes, even with that, I did use a lot of wood filler to fill all of my gaps.  

 

Keep at it!  Looking good!

[DanB]

Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement Gregg. I will look again at the planking part of your log. The third strakes went a lot better today. I may need to do a bit of cutting the bulk heads to get the coatings to fit, but I think if got the slots pretty close with a lot of ungluing and repositioning. 

[DanB]

Planking strakes 3 and 4

 

Planking is going  better with less gaps. Using clamps between the bulkheads, in addition to the rubber bands has helped to keep the gaps smaller and the planks more level  with each other. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!  I am taking my time and just gluing them in 1 to 2 bulkheads and letting the glue dry a bit before moving to the next one. 

 

 

[druxey]

Amazing what a little practice does! This is quite a challenging hull shape to plank, by the way. The moisture/hair dryer method is a good one for refining the shape and fit. 

[DanB]

For the past few days I have been continuing to plank the hull and now have finished strake 7. It is taking a while, but I am enjoying it!

 

 

 

[DanB]

I have finished planking and sheer strakes. It went better with practice, but there are a lot of gaps and uneven spots. Hoping that sanding and filling will take care of some of it.

 

 

 

 

 

[tlee01]

Dan

 

Looks good.  I just started garboards this morning, looks like I have a interesting next couple of days.

 

Gary

[DanB]

Sanding and Filling

 

After multiple rounds of sanding and filling the hull looks better. I was worried I was going to start sanding the planks to thin. Moving

on. Painting comes later in the instructions, so I will see how it looks after some primer and do more filling and sanding then if needed. 

 

 

 

 

[GGibson]

Hi Dan - The hull looks great. As you said, a little more sanding, some fill here and there, and it will look awesome when painted.  Anxious to see you progress.  Enjoy! 

 

Gregg

[SaltyNinja]

Looking good. I'll be watching these logs as you go. There's another one of the MBLS right up there 👆

I just started the shipwright series dory over there👉

[DanB]

I have been working on the rails over the past few days 

 

Toe Rails and Rub rails.  

 

The instructions say to steam the toe rails. I used the model shipways plank bender and that worked really well, adjusting the bend to fit the hull a bit at a time. 

 

The optional holes in the toe rails were a challenge, to get shaped. I used a 55 bit, followed by the small saw blade I used for the Pram and then needle files. I still could not get them to the oval shape in the instructions but I came close. The size was a guess based on the pictures in the manual. 

 

Fairleads and Samson post

 

The post did nto fit well and I had to file the hole and sand the post. I still managed to break the below deck part twice trying to fit it in

 

Oar lock pads—Look thinner in the pictures in instructions than the supplied pieces.  I sanded the bottoms down a bit after shaping them

 

More filling and sanding on the hull. 

 

I had bit more time tonight and soaked the coaming in hot water and then used the plank bender to get the curves about right. It’s drying out clamped in its space in the boat overnight getting ready for tomorrow’s adventures, cutting the slot in it for the tiller, painting, the outside and gluing it in 

 

The instructions don’t seem to say anything about finishing the deck. It seems  like that should happen now before adding the coaming and cabin.  I think I am going to sand it lightly and give it a couple of light coats of WOP or use an oil finish before adding more to the deck.

 

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

Never use oil finish anywhere you will need to glue anything onto later!

[GGibson]

Hi Dan!  It all looks really good so far.  Congrats on your success and in managing the challenges.  Believe me, there are more challenges ahead on this boat, but you will learn from them so the on the next build, you'll think "easy peasy!"

 

Regarding the toe rails and rub rails, one comment I was going to make (but may be too late in looking at your updated picture) is determining how you are going to paint/stain the rails and to do that before gluing them onto the boat.  If they are going to be different than the hull, the small detailed painting was really hard to keep from bleeding onto other places.

 

I had similar difficulty with my samson post, as well.  Mine split when attempting to insert the small rod and... super glue came to the rescue!

 

I painted the deck prior to placing the coaming and the cabin sides (I painted those prior to placement, as well).  Speaking of which, when curving and placing the coaming and the cabin sides, make sure they fit together nicely , but don't cut anything until they both dry, as they will shrink some in place prior to gluing.  

 

Looking great, Dan!

Edited February 25, 2022 by GGibson

[DanB]

Thanks for the suggestions Gregg!. I will have to mask to paint the toe rails but plan to use the color scheme in the instructions  so the rub rails will be the same color as the hull. Thanks for the suggestions on the coaming. I will paint them before gluing them in and makes sure they are dry before fitting them.

[DanB]

 I have been  busy with other responsibilities  for the past week so not much progress. 

 

Coaming and Cabin sides. 

 

This was a lot more difficult than I expected.  

Soaking the pieces in boiling water, using the plank bender to get the shape about right and then using rubber bands to hold them in place while they dried on the boat worked pretty well. Getting the cabin side piece to fit correctly was really difficult. I had to do a lot of cutting and shaving the bulkhead slots and it still did not really fit right. The pictures all  appear to show  it flush with the deck and mine had a gap near the slots in the deck that the tabs fit into— not matter what I did.  I finally got it pretty close and glued it down. I masked  off the deck and tired to fill the gaps with glue and sawdust— but there were still gaps after it dried.  Then I used some wood filler, sanded it and repainted. Gaps are much better .

 

I had to unglue. my oarlock pads as they need to be ⅛ inch high and I had sanded them down a bit.I glued some wood to the bottom to get them to the correct height.

 

 

I will probably try another  round of masking and filling after a break to recover my patience.

[druxey]

Bending and fitting those coamings is a tricky business, but it looks as if you've done a great job on them, Dan. Some filler is often necessary!

[mark.bukovich]

Looking great! I've had an interest in this kit; it's helpful to see it come together 

[SaltyNinja]

Looks like it's coming along nicely! 🎸🤘

[GGibson]

Looks great, Dan!  The coaming and cabin sides fit nicely.  Great work!  

 

Gregg

[DanB]

 Bulkhead,  Wet well covers, cabin roof.

 

This part was fun!. I lost the upright pieces for the bulkhead. They  just fell out of the carrier sheet, somewhere, and I could not find them,  so I made new ones using some scrap from the sheet.  The cabin sides were a bit uneven so the overhang along the roof needed to be sanded a bit. I painted the wet well covers first and they did curl up when I put the white glue on and I had to use some CA to get them glued down.  I tired to seal the  wood for the hatch by giving it a coat of wipe on poly before painting it.  I probably needed more coats as that did not work either. It still curled up even though it was sealed and painted on both sides, and I  needed to use a few drops or CA to get it glued down . I looked at lot of other  build logs and images of lobster smacks and Friendship sloops to try to figure out a color scheme, I finally decided I liked the one in the instructions best but wanted to also paint the covers and hatch. 

 

[druxey]

When using white glue on a thin piece, always dampen the opposite side to prevent curling. Your model is looking very nice at this point.

[DanB]

Lots of sanding, filling and priming to get ready to paint the hull.  I have done multiple rounds of filling and sanding, and then more priming, filling and sanding .   I feel like I am at the point of diminishing returns. I still  found a few more places to fill though.