Swampscott Dory by Steve1970 - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:12

[Steve1970]

Well, I started my first model. It took a little time to acclimate. The first thing I noticed was that the instructions were very basic. You have to read the detailed plans to answer your questions about how something goes together. This makes sense now that I have spent some time examining the plans and realized it is the separate skill of reading the plans that needs to be developed first to be a successful model builder. 

 

For gluing up the frames, I uses some setup blocks I had from my workshop. They are exactly 1x2x3", are perfectly square, and they have good weight to them. I thought they worked out very well. 

 

I had drawn a line on my work surface and taped the boat bottom square to the edge of the board. That way, I could use a square to make sure they placed exactly square to the centerline and each other. 

[MrBlueJacket]

That's a really good start!

 

Nic

[Steve1970]

Okay, i glued down the frames to a board and beveled the bottom, stem and transom for better seams and glue surface when installing the the planking. 

 

 

 

[Steve1970]

Well...it has been awhile since I posted. I did do some work on the boat in the intervening time, but life got busy with a house move into a fixer-upper, two more grandkids, and a wedding of one of my children. 

 

So, to catch up, the following are some photos and some thought on them that got me to where I am today. 

[Steve1970]

I figured out a trick to scribe a precise line for the overlap I wanted. I have since seen this exact technique used by others so I feel less proud than I did.

 

Edited Monday at 06:16 PM by Steve1970

[Steve1970]

I create recesses for each plank so that they would sit nice against the transom. 

[Steve1970]

A closeup of the bow and all the glue I am going to have to pick out before painting. If I had it to do over again, it would (a) trim the plank with a small hand plane so I got a nice clean, crisp and square line and (b) use less glue. 

Is there a trick to not having a glue line here if you are using wood glue? 
 

Edited Monday at 05:21 PM by Steve1970

[Steve1970]

I was very happy with how the rails came out. I tapered all the frames so they ended flush with the rail. Following this picture, I spent an inordinate amount of time picking glue out the seems of the planks. I will be varnishing the inside, so I will not be covering up anything. 

[Steve1970]

Centerboard trunk installed. If I had it to over, I would have used mahogany for the cap of the trunk. 

[Steve1970]

The stem cap when on nicely after filing down the intersection of the planks on the outside of the stem 

 

 

Edited Monday at 07:01 PM by Steve1970

[Steve1970]

Seats were next. I made sure to trim the angles of the knees so they made contact with the hull planking. I had to cut back the top of the centerboard trunk because I did not dry fit everything and realize how they intersected.

 

Edited Monday at 05:48 PM by Steve1970

[Steve1970]

The rudder and tiller done. I had fun making the tiller. The choice of the mahogany tiller looks cool. I don't know how authentic that would be though. 

 

You can see in the background I used some spackle to try to get rid of an irritating wavy spot where the plank dried wrong.  I blame too much  or misplaced clamping of the wet plank. I ended sanding almost all of it away anyway and will have to live with the wave. 

 

 

Edited Monday at 06:06 PM by Steve1970

[JacquesCousteau]

Nice work!