Frigate Essex by Rafine - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Kitbashed

[samueljr]

Graet work Bob.

 

Gives me hope for the kit.....................

 

Sam

[rafine]

Thanks, Wes. One of the joys of retirement is that you really do have the time to just do something if you want to. That and having a couple of teeth extracted which kept me housebound for a couple of days.

 

Thanks, Augie. You're really not so hard to please, but I'm happy that you're happy. 

 

Thanks, Sam. I haven't heard from you in a while. How is it going with the kit? 

 

Bob

[Rustyj]

Hi Bob. I’m back in town and I just got caught up on your work. Everything looks to be going very well.

You may have had doubts but the rest of us knew you would “nail it”.

 

Oh by the way, isn't having a couple of teeth extracted, a little extreme way to get more modeling time?    

 

I hope you're feeling better.

[egkb]

Nice.. I actually exclaimed out loud 'Woooh! when I saw your work   Did you ever think you'd get on like this a few months back

 

Eamonn

[mtaylor]

Bob,

 

Great job on the planking and obviously, your framing work paid off handsomely.  

[gjdale]

Great job Bob. But I agree that teeth extraction is a little bit of an extreme way to claim some modelling time!

[rafine]

Thanks guys. You're all great and much appreciated.

 

Eamonn, I hoped that it would turn out well, but there were sure times when I had my doubts.

 

Rusty and Grant, the dental work didn't increase my modeling time as much as it cut down my golf time. 

 

Bob

[hamilton]

Sheesh - if my blood and sweat planking looked anything like your crazy quilt planking I'd be a happy man! she's looking very fine Bob!

hamilton

[rafine]

Thanks so much Hamilton. However, judging by what I've seen of your work on Blandford, you're selling yourself very short.

 

Bob

[Gahm]

Excellent work, Bob! I am always amazed how fast you move through your builds without compromising quality! Well done!

 

Thomas

[rafine]

Thanks Thomas. The positive side of aging is that I have plenty of time to do the things that I enjoy.

 

Bob

[rafine]

Lower hull planking is now completed. If anything, the planking pattern on the starboard side is even stranger than that on the port. Again, though, with the objective being merely to get it on fair and smooth, I'm quite satisfied with the end result. It should provide a suitable surface for the painting and coppering to follow.

 

There are a number of options as to how to proceed from here. Coppering would be one choice, but I'm going to leave that until interior planking and deck planking have been done to minimize risks from handling the hull. My current plan is to do the false deck and the hatches for the lower deck cutouts first, then move on to the gun deck bulwark planking and then to the deck planking for the gun deck. Even though the lower deck details will likely be invisible, or nearly so, it should be fun to do something other than plank for a while.

 

With the completion of the hull planking, I think that the challenges posed by the kit's problems have been largely overcome. I expect to be able to move forward now in the fashion that I originally expected. We'll see.

 

Bob

[egkb]

Am in envy of your planking Bob, and you are about to cover it up with copper I'd hate to see the job you'd have done if it were to be left 'visible'.. I love where this build is taking us followers!

 

I can sympathise with the wish to get away from planking though, can't wait to see what you have in store for us with the interior work.

 

Eamonn

[augie]

Nice work Bob.  Are those 1/8" wide planks on the lower hull?

[j21896]

Great job Bob!  She's going to be a fine addition to your already prodigious fleet.

 

Which is the last one of your builds that you coppered?  Syren?

 

Robert

[Sjors]

That looks great Bob.

 

It's almost a shame that you copper such smooth hull.

 

Edited November 23, 2013 by Sjors

[cookster]

Very, very nice Bob.  Can't wait to see the deck, bulwarks etc come together.

[gjdale]

Have to agree with the others Bob - great job on the planking! Looking forward to the next steps - let's hope you're right about being past the kit problems.

[rafine]

Thanks very much, guys. I appreciate your continuing interest.

 

Augie, the planking is mostly 3/16" wide (a lot of it tapered) with some 1/8'.

 

Syren was the last coppered hull that I've done, Robert.

 

Smooth but sort of ugly, Sjors. Copper will look better.

 

I can't wait either Wes. It's time to be patient.

 

Grant, I have no doubt that the kit will continue to have problems, but I'm near the point where I was going to make changes and do a lot of scratch building anyway.

 

Bob

[aliluke]

Well Bob looks like we finished our second layer at the exactly the same time. Like you I'm glad it is behind me. You have done a great job there - nice and tight (much tighter than my efforts).

 

One issue I have had is a slight discolouration of the boxwood where the planks butt together. I'm guessing this is because the glue (I use CA) is soaking into the end grain of the plank. It is not too bad but will not sand out. You don't appear to have this problem. Any tricks there that you could share? I think next time I will lacquer the cut ends before gluing - do you do that?

 

Cheers

Alistair

[augie]

Thanks Bob.  I thought they looked pretty substantial.

[rafine]

Thanks Alistair. I use yellow carpenters glue (Elmers) for my planking and it doesn't seem to stain and any residue can be sanded off. 

When I've used CA for spot gluing on planking, it will soak the wood and leave some staining . Usually, it  can be sanded to be almost unnoticeable, but in any case, I've found that a coat of Wipe-on Poly evens out the appearance and solves any problem. I've never lacquered the plank ends and have no idea what that would do.

 

Bob 

[augie]

With regards to using CA for planking, the problem of penetration can be controlled by using the heavier, thick grade.  It takes longer to set (perhaps 20 seconds) but because of the viscosity it does not penetrate the wood quickly.  It can also be controlled nicely to apply the smallest of dabs and doesn't 'get all over the place'.  I'm not talking about the 'gel', just the thick grade.  It's strong.  But like all CA's, it doesn't like to be sanded.

[rafine]

Time for a small diversion from planking. I did the false deck and the cut-out areas under the gun deck hatches. Actually, I had to do a little planking because I found that the amount of planking that I had previously done under the hatches was insufficient.

 

There will be three open hatches on the gun deck. Two will be ladder ways. The third displays the upper portion of a stored anchor. I made the lower deck hatches using the laser cut gratings from the kit with coamings made from boxwood. The gratings were stained Golden Oak and the whole assemblies were finished with Wipe-on Poly. The ladders will be added when the gun deck is fitted out. The anchor is a casting that I found in my parts collection.

 

The false deck, in keeping with everything else, didn't  fit quite right. There was also a problem because the measurements for the hatch locations on the plans didn't line up properly with the lower deck cut-outs. Neither of these was any real trouble, however, and I was able to get things lined up and glued the deck down. Any problem with the deck sizing should be covered up by the deck planking. Before gluing it down, I added some boxwood strip under the false deck to simulate the gun deck beams and carlings around the hatch openings.

 

I'm sure that most of the work on the lower deck areas will be virtually invisible later, but I'm glad that I did it. Now, I will get started on the inner bulwark planking.

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cookster]

Very nice Bob, she's coming right along.  Can't wait to see what other scratch items you have in mind...

[KenW]

What size drill do you use for the treenails? 

I may be using one that is too small since I keep breaking it.

Thanks.

[rafine]

Thanks Wes. I have a lot in mind. I'm not yet sure which will actually happen.

 

I used #75 on this one, Ken. Sorry to say, but I broke a few as well.

 

Bob

[augie]

I think we're all in the same boat.  I went through enough 74's on the last project and hope to have enough 'in stock' to get through the current project.

[KenW]

Thanks.  I am using a 74.  Can you order just one size from someplace?  Or, do you have to order a whole set for just one bit?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[cookster]

As far as drill bits, there are plenty of on-line tool places but I use McMaster Carr.  They have EVERYThing!  Not kidding, it's a hardware store on steroids...

 

They have several warehouses around the US and ship same day.  Not sure if I can post the web address, just google McMaster Carr and it will come right up.  You can order i drill bit or 50....