USF Confederacy by Augie & Moonbug - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:64

[augie]

Before I begin fairing the hull, I like to have a few bent planks available to check the flow of the planks.  To do this, I make up a quick bending jig (Chuck depicts this in the practicum).

 

I first trace an outline of the hull curvature from the plans.  I also prepare about a dozen screws:

 

 

The screws are wrapped in heat shrink electrical insulation.  As they will be holding wet planks to dry, if you don't do this the planks may discolor.

 

I then slightly exaggerate the traced curve (to allow for 'spring back') and transfer it to an old cutting board.  Holes are drilled and the screws firmly fixed in place.  Here's a soaked plank drying in the jig:

 

 

After a few hours, the desired curve has been 'set' in the wood.  This photo shows a second wet plank now drying while the first sits outside the jig now permanently curved:

 

 

The jig will hold up to 4 planks set vertically on edge all at the same time.  This is more then enough once planking begins.  It's easy, cheap and ......... it works!

 

I'll review this when actual planking begins.......in 2014    

 

 

[riverboat]

Nice jig !!

[Chuck]

Dont forget that below the wales you will need to bend those edge-wise first before putting them in that jig.   Otherwise you will get a mess at the bow.  

 

Chuck

[Sjors]

That jig looks good !

 

@ Chuck,

 

I can not follow you what about that edge-wise thing….

I try to understand it but…..I'm grey …...

Augie is talking about a praticum?

Is that here on the site?

Or shall I wait till there is a picture from it.

 

[newbuilder101]

Looking great Augie! At this rate you'' be finished your ship before I finish my planking!

[augie]

  :D   Folks, I'm on page 5 of 170! 

[Chuck]

Edge-bending

 

 

VS.   Regular bending as shown by Augie

 

[Sjors]

Thank you Chuck !

Makes sense to me now 

 

[Gahm]

It looks like you are progressing very well! At that pace you will be finished with the Confederacy while I am still trying to figure out how to get my Syren done! 

 

Thomas

[patrickmil]

It's pretty exciting to see this really picking up now. I will be using some of these tips in the future. They look to be more user-friendly than what I've done in the past. 

[augie]

I'm glad if any of this stuff helps anyone or sparks an idea.  I know that's what MSW does for me.  That's why I love reading other's logs rather than just whacking away in the shop and then coming away with 'gee, I coulda/shoulda'.  I know I look back at my Syren now and wish I could start over.  Hmmmm.........

 

Sort of on hold right now as we've had some tremendous rains out here and things are just out of whack totally.  Tough to concentrate when you have fish swimming on the roads  

[HIPEXEC]

Augie,

 

I'm going to copy your plank bending jig. I think it's simple and effective looking. How do you bend a plank on two axis? Horizontally as well as vertically to take into account the curvature of the hull and also its rake?

 

Rich

Hipexc USS Constitution.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Hipexec

[augie]

Thanks to all on the flood issue.  We came out fine.  No, no fishing from the porch Keith.  Besides I think all the fish washed to Nebraska.

 

Rich-  Above the wales, the bending jog I showed gives the curvature you need.  As Chuck mentions, below the wales edge bending is needed if you plank with the kit-supplied 1/8 x 1/16th inch planks as a technique to emulate spiling.  A scratch builder would use wider planks to begin with and spile them as there are less planks needed at the bow. Once the edge bending is complete, you still need to curve the plank around the bow - so you're creating a compound curve.

 

I haven't gotten to this yet so we'll see how it works out. 

[DCIronfist]

  :D   Folks, I'm on page 5 of 170!

 

So if I understand correctly 18 pages in your log gets you to page 5 in the instructions , that's 3.6 log pages per instruction page. And if my math is correct, you should have 612 pages in your log when you finish. :) :)

[themadchemist]

I used this method on the swift and it worked well. Wold you call it pseudo-spiling? Of course its a multi-step process, but most everything is in this hobby. I found transparent tape a good method for marking the psuedo spiling mark. I'd stretch the tape over the adjacent plank, then use a pencil edge to mark the tape. this then was taped onto the pre-curved plank and the spile cut was marked. 

log entry #145 has a tutorial on how I used this method to mark the whiskey plank.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/997-swift-by-themadchemist-artesania-latina-virginia-pilot-boat-1805-older-version/page-10

 

I worked for me. I also found the small 3'' hand planes very useful in shaving the plank edges down close to the mark, before finishing with sand paper. I really like Augie's shrink wrap on the screws idea. The wet wood, at least basswood, has a tendency to mark where it presses against the pressure points (screws, nails, pins), another good idea learned from watching what others do.

 

Glad to hear you weathered things ok, I didn't know thing got bad out there.  We don't have TV so no news for me. The world could end and I wouldn't know it.

So now your going to have to go to Nebraska to fish, HUM, what a bummer. Maybe some will swim back.

[rdsaplala]

She's coming along nicely Augie, excellent work!

[augie]

So if I understand correctly 18 pages in your log gets you to page 5 in the instructions , that's 3.6 log pages per instruction page. And if my math is correct, you should have 612 pages in your log when you finish. :) :)

Finally....someone who thinks like me!  I was thinking more like 589 pages --- thanks to all my friends on here.

 

Actually, Chuck's instructions are fabulous.  He makes me smile often as he will sometimes devote an entire page to creating a gun port lid hinge and then one sentence to 'the starboard side is planked the same way'.  It's a great practicum.

[augie]

Fairing of the hull bulkheads has been completed.  I am happy to report that the safety timbers installed on the bulkhead 'horns' served me well and no pieces were broken during the sawdust festival.

 

The safety timbers have been removed and reserved for possible future use.

 

 

 

I will now begin to construct the 'shadow box' on the starboard side which will serve to show the exposed 'frames'.  This next photos shows the laser cut shadow box pieces and 20 identical 'frames', 10 of which have been doubled up.  The interior of the box will be painted black.

 

 

The laser burn on the side of the frames to be exposed shall be removed in a mini-fairing operation after they are installed (they are cut over sized).

 

[Chuck]

You should keep those safety timbers on at all times...no reason to remove them until you are done planking above the wales....TRUST ME....you never know when your sleeve will get caught on one of them.   Just having them in place keeps your loose clothes from catching on them.   It also helps strengthen the whole thing when it comes time to flip the hull over from time to time.

 

Nice work so far...

[augie]

Thanks for stopping by, Chuck.  OK, back they go....simple enough.  I never allow sleeves in the workshop --- I'm too clumsy even without them.

 

By the way, ME did a great job on the laser cutting of the frames and box pieces.  I would lose my mind trying to cut those from scratch.

[mobbsie]

Hi Augie,

 

Not being familiar with this ship I notice bulkheads 7 & 8 have a cut out, what is the purpose of this cut out and the markings on the other bulkheads. :mellow:

 

Nice bit of fairing and it's a good idea to put those safety timbers back on.  

 

Your making good progress mate under some very difficult circumstances.

 

mobbsie

[Chuck]

That cut out is for a window with simulated frames.  It was my homage to David Antscherl after being inspired by his Resolution model.  This one is actually done in all basswood.

 

Here are some images of the prototype under construction.

 

 

 

 

[WackoWolf]

Mobbsie,

 

    If you were to take a look at a pictures of Chuck finishes model or look at it on Model Expo you would see that it is to show the frames of the ship, just a bell or whistle. It's a nice feature without havind to do a whole side since then it would be a POF model.

I have been lucky enough  to have seen Chuck's, Rusty's and Ron (from my club) models in person.

Edited September 16, 2013 by WackoWolf

[Sjors]

Nice job Augie !

 

And put those safety timbers back 

Thanks for answering a question Chuck before I could ask it.

Mobbsie beat me with that.

But now we know that your build is be watch closely Augie.

 

 

[Trussben]

Augie, I agree with Chuck about the support timbers, leave em on as long as possible, as another use for them is when you glue down the false decks in 4 pieces its very difficult to clamp the middle down, using scrap pieces and the safety timbers gives you another place to clamp from, thats what I did and it worked great.

 

ben

[riverboat]

That's a real good idea on those safety timbers, that basswood can get pretty brittle at times. I've got  a Pride of Baltimore sitting in the closet because of my frustration with those basswood bulkheads. So keep them on Augie , your build is too nice to mess up !!  

Frank

[Jim Lad]

Nice to hear that the safety timbers are going back, Augie.  Antlers can be pretty brittle (just ask your local moose)!

 

John

[texxn5]

Looks good Augie....keep it up...glad all is well.

[Rustyj]

Hi Augie,

 

Things are looking real good. I can't say anything more than Chuck and the others

did so I'll just sit back and enjoy for now.

[mtaylor]

Confed looking great Augie.  You got me smiling at your progress.   Oh... and it looks like the moose is back.