Rattlesnake by Ed Ku20 - Model Shipways - 1:64

[javajohn]

Hi Ed,

 

I've been away from modeling for a year, but I'm back. I just caught up on your posts. I'm impressed and inspired by your skill. I'm really enjoying reading your progress! 

 

 

[alde]

She's looking really nice. Thanks for sharing your build. 

[Ed Ku20]

1 hour ago, javajohn said:

Hi Ed,

 

I've been away from modeling for a year, but I'm back. I just caught up on your posts. I'm impressed and inspired by your skill. I'm really enjoying reading your progress! 

 

 

Hi John,

Great to hear that you're back!  Hope the move went great and the new shipyard is spacious!  Thanks for your kind words.  I am really enjoying my Rattlesnake build.  It's been challenging.  I'm taking it slow and focusing on one step at a time.  So far, so good.  Can't wait to see your future progress.

[Ed Ku20]

1 hour ago, alde said:

She's looking really nice. Thanks for sharing your build. 

Thanks for looking in Al.  Appreciate your interest and kind words.

[Ed Ku20]

Head Rails (Part 2)

 

I just completed construction of the “head rails”.  That’s the term I’m using to include all of the stuff at the ship’s stem.  In “Part 1” I completed 5 steps.  Part 2 consists of the steps listed below starting with #6.

 

I started with the Cross Timbers.   These turned out to be extremely difficult to make well (as did pretty much everything here).  I redid several of them multiple times.  Each one needs to be custom fit for its position.  There are multiple angles to sand and fit.  The disk sander I picked up at Menard’s recently made this work a lot easier!  I’m a little disappointed with some of the results, but I hope my mistakes are not too noticeable.  Here are the construction steps I followed.

 

6.       Cross Timbers – there are supposed to be five per side.  Because of size restrictions on my stem, I decided to only install 4.  Some of this is dictated by the need to leave the hole in the stem for the gammoning rope clear.  I found that the kit supplied 1/16” thick by ½” wide stripwood was stronger than my store bought 1/16” sheetwood.  I cut them from this.  Each one has to be custom fit.  They run vertically.  Four of them start at the inside of the Main Head Rail and curve “in” and “down” to the Upper Wale Cheek Rails.  There is a fifth piece that runs from the top of the hawse board to the main head rail.  The Middle Rail runs horizontally on the outboard side of the cross timbers from the hawse board to near the top of the stem.

 

As with the rails in part 1, I started by making a cardboard cutout of the shape for each one.  This was done by trial & error since there is nothing in the plans to trace from.  The drawings they do show are incomplete.  I transferred this shape to the 1/16” stripwood, cut it out and used the disk sander & Dremel drum sander to finish it.  Where the timber sits underneath the grating it has to be shorter and more curved.  Sorry, I don’t have very many pics of this step.

 

The first batch of cross timbers ready for painting and gluing

 

I completed the slats and the last cross timbers at the same time to make sure everything would fit.  Here are the last pair of cross timbers and one of the end slats after painting.

 

7.       The "Seats of Ease” – There are two toilet seats glued to a base with holes in it.  They have a triangular shape.  The base is fit between the slat grating and the hull.  I’ve seen build logs showing a three-sided bottom with a seat glued on top.  I decided to make mine by cutting a triangular shaped corner from a 3/32” thick piece of stripwood.  I drilled a hole in the center of each one to make it look like a toilet!  The hole extends through the base.

 

Cardboard cutout to get the fit for the base and slat gratings

 

The “Seats of Ease” are glued to the base.  A slot is cutout to fit around the base for the bowsprit

 

The assembly after painting and gluing in place.  Note the unpainted crossbeam for the slats

 

8.       Slat Gratings in front of the “Seats of Ease” -- A 1/16” square cross beam is set at 90-degrees to the Head Rails.  The area between the beam and the base board is filled with a grating that is split down the middle to accommodate the gammoning rope.  I made the grating slats with 1/32” x 1/16” stripwood.  Each slat must be fitted individually. 

 

Way back at the beginning of my Rattlesnake build I broke off the stem.  (See my post #88) I was able to get it back together with advice from some of you!  But there is a barely noticeable listing to port in the stem.  This reared its ugly head when installing the slats.  The port side is shorter than starboard.  Therefore, the port side is 1 slat short compared to starboard!  Oops!  Don’t errors with printing postage stamps, coins or baseball cards make them more valuable?  Oh well, too late now!!

 

The 2 center slats are installed with the gap in the middle for the gammoning rope

 

One more slat left to install

 

9.       Middle Rail – runs horizontally on the outboard side of the cross timbers.  I made another cardboard cutout to check the size and fit.  Once satisfied, I cut them out using 1/16” sheetwood.  There needs to be an upward curve as it nears the end of the stem.  Some sanding was needed to get the forward end to bend inward.

 

After applying a coat of satin poly, I took pics from all sides of the finished Head Rails.  I logged 80 hours and 40+ calendar days on this step.  I’m glad to have it completed!!  I hope you like the final result.

 

I have a question for all you Rattlesnake builders.  The blueprint plans show hand rails that seem to run from end to end on the main head rail.  Did you install these?  What materials are used?  How is it attached to the rails?

 

Here’s wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

Thanks,

Ed