HMS Bounty Launch by EvanKeel - Model Shipways - 1:16

[EvanKeel]

I decided to post a build log for this model. I'm somewhat new to model ship building and modeling in general but I've completed three Model Shipways shipwright series with....okay results. The Dory, the Norwegian sailing pram and the lobster smack. What an awesome idea for newbies! I'm really glad I started with these models as I've learnt so many valuable skills (and made many educational mistakes). (Do they purposely make the models and instructions imperfect so we learn to overcome issues??) I was dreading the rigging on the lobster smack but found a couple of techniques on YouTube and came up with a couple of my own and I'm happier with the results. Still toying with redoing the halyards.

Mods, please let me know if I'm not supposed to post my finished models here and l'll remove the pics. I was proud of each as I finished it.

 

The Bounty Launch was a gift and, reading about it's history, I'm pretty interested! Amazing journey that I'll be reading more about. The kit is a bit different from what I'm used to. The instructions are more abbreviated and there are 4 GIANT pages of blueprints that have much useful information on them. After getting more familiar with the format, I love it!

 

I've built the keel etc and am starting to build the molds.

 

I have 3 concerns right off the bat:

1) they suggest staining the interior. Really? I thought staining was a recipe for blotchiness. I kinda count on paint to cover my mistakes. I'll have to decide if I'll stain or paint soon.

2) My keel does not perfectly match the false keel. See Pic. The gap isn't as pronounced on the other side due to the laser etching. I'm considering regluing the keel and stem despite the fact that I've cut the rabbit. Any opinions are apreciated!

3) Some of the molds don't seem to be tall enough near the stern. I'd expect them to be slightly higher than the false keel so that when they're shaped, the lower edge matches the line of the false keel. Should I glue these higher so that the low edge matches the line of the false keel?

 

Okay, I apologize for the order of the pictures.  I'll figure out how to post properly eventually!

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by EvanKeel

[EvanKeel]

Also, notice in Pic 3 how the notch for frame doesn't line up with frame 3! This worries me....

Edited April 3, 2023 by EvanKeel

[iMustBeCrazy]

Greetings fellow Bounty Launch builder, I'm on my second which is a scratch build, the first was a Model Shipways.

 

There are a few traps with the Model Shipways kit so I suggest you read all the build logs, this link should help you find them.

The most common are the word 'TRANS' etched on the transom and the length of the planks (only just enough if you do them perfectly), they should have been a little longer.

 

55 minutes ago, EvanKeel said:

The Bounty Launch was a gift and, reading about it's history, I'm pretty interested! Amazing journey that I'll be reading more about.

In this thread we try to sort fact from fiction, you might find it interesting. It starts as a discussion about oars but morphs into a more general discussion on the Bountys boats.

 

58 minutes ago, EvanKeel said:

they suggest staining the interior. Really?

Truthfully, nobody knows. It is likely it was white or perhaps grey but again nobody knows so do what you like.

 

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

My keel does not perfectly match the false keel.

If that's about station/frame 3 it doesn't matter, that rib is added after removing the boat from the false keel. Same for 1 and 2.

 

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

Some of the molds don't seem to be tall enough near the stern.

The ribs sit in the notches in the keel, the moulds should sit at a height that supports them there EXCEPT 1 2 and 3 where the moulds include false ribs as the real ones are added later. The instructions should warn against gluing planks to moulds 1 2 and 3.

 

I believe I've got that all correct but it was a while ago.

[EvanKeel]

Thanks for the detailed reply, @iMustBeCrazy! I'd read some of the build logs before starting but see I have a bit more reading to do. 

The history link is great info. Great discussion!

I've decided to keep the keel as is but to shim the cross frames a touch higher to match the false keel. Worst case is I have a bit more sanding to do. And I have lots of sandpaper. 

The jury's still out on staining the interior...

[iMustBeCrazy]

50 minutes ago, EvanKeel said:

Thanks for the detailed reply

No problem. One thing that would help with the planks is to take a bit more off the moulds when fairing, half a millimetre might do.

 

 

And you may be able to fit the transom with the TRANS on the inside and cover it with a backrest for the stern seat. Check it first, I might be wrong.

 

[EvanKeel]

I managed to make a little progress but be prepared for some spurts and pauses. I took your advice, Craig,  and marked ~1/2 mm around the molds before installing these. By the way, I read through your Bounty log and I'm a little awed. That's a whole different level of building and very impressive!

I decided to add shims and raise the molds that seemed a little low. Later, it occured to me that the spring in the frames probably means this wasn't necessary. Time will tell if this was a mistake, a harmless waste of time or a moment of inspired foresight. I do wish I'd added the sheer tabs after building the frame.

 

When adding the stiffeners, i was a little worried they were slightly too long and there was a bit warping of the end molds (1-2mm max) but I decided this was acceptable. Thoughts? It's not too late to fix this.

Next, on to fairing and trying to remove as much of that 0.5mm as my patience allows. So...much...sawdust. It really tests a man's grit.

I copied the plank lines onto the stem and installed the keel - it seemed to fit fine. Don't make fun of the size of my cutting mat, please. I clicked the wrong button on Amazon and I'm living with my mistake for now.

Next, installed the transom, taking the advice from other logs and taking extra care that it's square 'with the world'. The stern post is indented and doesn't line up with the end of the keel and transom. Fortunately, the keel and transom seem to line up to each other and I'll fill the gap with either thin wood strips or my favorite wood filler. 

How do you like my picture insertions, by the way? Told ya I'd figure it out!

 

For the giant TRANSOM on the transom, since I'm painting the outside, I thought that I'd try a little concealer. A Iight sanding over the offensive word, mash in some wood filler, let it dry thoroughly, then a final light sanding. I think my Aunt Dorothy, bless her soul, used the same technique. It seems to look fine and, hopefully, a coat of paint will remove all signs of its existence.  There's a few dots from the burn on the inside but, hopefully, that won't be a huge problem.

 

Next up would be the dreaded bending of the cherry frames. I'm going to do a bit more reading of logs and introspection before starting these. I may buy one of those soldering iron benders that a lot of you seem to have. I also have an unusual amount of time away from home in the next month so I'm not sure how much further I'll get for a few weeks.

 

Thanks for reading!

[iMustBeCrazy]

Looking good.

 

But have you faired 1,2 and 3 already? That gets done after you fit the ribs to the other moulds (but not 1,2 & 3). Not a big deal if you have but you will have to glue on some false ribs.

 

5 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

When adding the stiffeners, i was a little worried they were slightly too long and there was a bit warping of the end molds (1-2mm max) but I decided this was acceptable. Thoughts? It's not too late to fix this.

So, your spacers are about 0.1mm long giving a cumulative error of about 1.5mm or are the about 0.2mm long giving a cumulative error of about 1.5mm each end? I think the magic number was 26.1mm so I would suggest replacing every fourth one with one 0.2mm short (ie: 25.9mm).

 

5 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

Next up would be the dreaded bending of the cherry frames.

These have to twist to follow the faired moulds, I'm not too sure about a bending iron. I think I finished up boiling them for two minutes and fitting them as one piece (port and starboard as one) by poking it through the keel to the middle then bending but I don't think the keel actually needs to be fitted which would make it easier. Don't just grab the ends and bend, work your way out from the false keel applying pressure and clamping as you go. Make two sets of ribs so you have the intermediate ones pre-bent. When the second set has dried you could put a small dab of glue on each and then fit the keel.

 

5 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

How do you like my picture insertions, by the way? Told ya I'd figure it out!

😁

[EvanKeel]

2 hours ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

But have you faired 1,2 and 3 already?

 

I have faired them but to a height where I expect them to line up with the frames. I realized I was jumping ahead and did not fair the transom yet.

 

2 hours ago, iMustBeCrazy said:

so I would suggest replacing every fourth one with one 0.2mm short (ie: 25.9mm).

 

I'll take more exact measurements and follow this advice. Thanks!

 

And your comments about bending the frames seems to include all of the best ideas I've come across so far and more. I'll likely follow all of this advice as well.

 

Thanks again!

 

[allanyed]

Hi Evan,

  Your attention to detail is fantastic and those in the following logs may fit in with your attention to details that the kit may have missed. I think these would be in addition to those that Craig gave in post #3 above.

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/33539-23-foot-launch-by-allanyed-bounty-late-18th-century/

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/33565-hms-bounty-launch-by-oakheart-finished-scale-124-–-18th-century-based-on-drawings-from-national-maritime-museum/

 

Allan

 

 

[oakheart]

On 4/3/2023 at 5:14 AM, EvanKeel said:

I decided to post a build log for this model.

Hi EvenKeel, welcome to this crazy place.

Don't follow anything I did on my build, I had ( have ) no idea what I am doing except following my nose.

 

Good luck with the build, I love your other work ,I'm sure this will be as good too.

 

Tim

[winter venture]

nice pics... i am considering the lobster .... boat is it the first picture..and how was the build..

 

 

many thanks

[EvanKeel]

On 5/1/2023 at 7:23 AM, winter venture said:

nice pics... i am considering the lobster .... boat is it the first picture..and how was the build..

 

 

many thanks

Hi Winter, 

Thanks!

 

The 2nd and 3rd pics in my first post are the Lobster Smack. It was a lot of fun and my favorite so far. There were a few challenges, some due to slight flaws in the kit or the instructions and some due to new skills or techniques I hadn't needed before. One example of many would be that the rigging is more complicated than in my 2 previous models. My eye splices looked *terrible* using the technique in the instructions (all respect to David Antscherl) but, after much youtubing, I found a Tom Lauria video with a technique that worked way, way better for me.

 

I'd strongly suggest, if you're new to this, starting with the Lowell grand banks Dory and/or the Norwegian sailing pram. Honestly, they didn’t seem too exciting to me at first but, being a cautious fellow who occasionally recognizes when he doesn't know cjack, I decided to start slow and was glad I did. And both turned out to be great starter models, excellent learning experiences and a lot of fun. I would have messed up the lobster smack (much more than I did) otherwise.There's several build logs for both. 

 

Good luck and, if you decide to build any of these models and have questions, message me and I'll try to help.

[EvanKeel]

Thanks for the encouragement, Allan and Tim. Allan, I've bookmarked both those builds. Good reads! And, Tim, l'll look through yours and still take what what i can from it. Thanks!

 

Okay, I'm back from my travels, etc and thought I'd take a stab at some of the dreaded frames. Boiled several of the cursed cherry strips for 5+ minutes and let the evil things soak about 15 minutes more. I snapped the first one. I tried another trying to choose the best grain direction and going very slowly. I snapped that one. I swear i heard it chuckle.

 

So I let the things soak in the hot water for another hour and tried again, noting the grain and going slow, trying to feel for that 'give'. Snapped it. 0 for 3!!!

 

I can take a hint, however subtle, so I'm taking another break to read logs and have a think on it. Boil longer? Steam? Overnight soak? One week soak? Dash of ammonia? Man, I don't know....

[iMustBeCrazy]

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

I can take a hint, however subtle

From the short grain where those three broke you were always going to have trouble. I suspect they were cut too close to a knot. Bending them at 90° to the way you did may have helped but probably not. If the wood had been milled with straight grain it would be a lot easier.

 

I would suggest boil longer, take a rib direct from the boiling water and clamp it to to the mould near the keel, then walk your fingers along the rib bending it to the mould as you go. If at any time it doesn't feel like it's going to bend throw it back in the boiling water.

 

I broke several when I did it but I salvaged a couple by putting a clamp over the split to keep the bend then superglueing them when they dried.

Edited May 23, 2023 by iMustBeCrazy

[EvanKeel]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement, Craig.

 

I realized tonight that I missed working on the model but was procrastinating. Just need to get past these frames. So, on with it.

 

I boiled them 40 minutes (!) then started bending and clamping. I'm trying to do full frames, port and starboard, and it seems to be a good approach. For the points where the angle at the keel was more acute, I notched the frame at the center line.

 

Over all, I can't say it wasn't a little frustrating.  After successfully bending 2 frames while snapping 6, I started accepting applications from half frames and left the snapped lengths on the mold. 

 

I managed to bend on the 12 full frames but snapped 5 of them. I think you're tight, Craig.  The grain may be working against me. (There's a pun in there somewhere) 90 degree rotation doesn't help. I'll let these dry and work on the rest soon. Then I guess we'll see where we are. May be pulling out the super glue soon.

 

On a more positive note, I had the opportunity to visit the Maritime Museum in Lisbon recently. Wow! I had limited time but could have spent most of the day there. I was especially impressed by the large models ships originally made as teaching aids for the naval academy.  These beautiful 8 ft (?) models were historically accurate, I assume, and demonstrated functions like raising spars or prepping or raising anchors - things I hadn't thought much about before. It made me realize how incredibly complex these vessels were. Anyone reading this forum needs to visit if they're in the area. Highly recommended. Just amazing.

[EvanKeel]

Okay, then. I finally finished the frames. The magic formula for me was simmering the cherry pieces for maybe 30 minutes then shaping the harder bends with a curling iron. I still snapped a couple (~20%, n=12) but far fewer than before and I was able to work more quickly. 

 

Once dried, I was a little concerned by the spring-back of several frames but hopefully this won't result in too much spread later on. I've definitely found the frames a little frustrating and it had me procrastinating but hopefully we're past that now. As always,  I've learnt plenty.

 

I tacked the frames, squared and faired the transom, and touched up the first 3 molds. Remember that I faired these by eye before doing the frames. It would have been best to have waited but it turned out okay, I think. Planking will tell prove me right or wrong.

 

Looking forward to planking!

 

 

[iMustBeCrazy]

3 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

I finally finished the frames.

I bet that feels better.

 

3 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

I was a little concerned by the spring-back of several frames but hopefully this won't result in too much spread later on.

This model will spread if not restrained until you glue the thwarts in. I made a cradle for it to sit in but that was overkill. For my 16ft cutter I just glued three bits of wood together to form a frame that hung over the sides, it doesn't have to be fancy.

 

4 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

I tacked the frames, squared and faired the transom

A little fairing of the ribs themselves might be a good idea.

 

4 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

Looking forward to planking!

Remember the laser cutting puts a bevel on the edges, unfortunately they are all cut from the same side, good for one half of the hull bad for the other. So you have to fix the 'bad' side and then fix the 'good' side so the widths are the same. Remember you don't really have any spare width and also that the bevel varies with the curvature of the hull.

 

 

[EvanKeel]

It feels great to be done the frames, Craig! 

 

I faired the frames and, while most were fine, there were a couple of high spots and wonky twists. I'll  also be building a frame to control the spread. Great tip!

 

Bent the garboards and sheer planks tonight. The bottom planks are a bit thicker than what I'm used to but bent just fine after a soak. So far they line up with the marks nicely. Not much extra length, though.  Zero extra on the garboards but ~8mm on the sheer planks? Whatever, I'm goin' for it.

 

I also started the tool chest while waiting. Pro-tip: the interior of the chest is exactly one Lego block wide! I want to believe that was intentional.

[iMustBeCrazy]

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

Zero extra on the garboards but

Yep, if only they had added 10mm at the aft end of all strakes 😞

 

It was a while ago so I don't really remember and my photos don't show everything but I think the strake next to the garboard is the shortest. Having say 2mm overhang (not more) on the garboard will help with the length and hopefully the extra 0.5mm

you took off the moulds will fix the width issues. (or you could take off a little from the inside of the next strake, shown in purple below, which will also pull that strake back a bit).

 

[EvanKeel]

I finished the planking today. Feels good, man! I didn't have a lot of problems but found that I needed to trim the bow end of planks 4 and 5 to align with the guide marks on the mold and on the stem. I wish I'd started narrowing with plank 3 but not a big deal.

I bent plank 5 and the shutter plank before gluing either so I could see the fit. Glad I did!

I shaved a bit off of both, mainly at the bow end, and glued them in.

I ended up with a kinda significant gap at the stern end of the planks. I think I'll attempt some shims to fill in those gaps before pulling out my trusty wood filler.

Overall, it seems to have gone okay. I would have liked the planks to lay a little flatter (it looks better in the pics than it is in real life - kinda like Instagram, i guess) but I'll do better next time. Always learning!

Until next time, guys!

[iMustBeCrazy]

Relax, no you just have to make her pretty.

 

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

I ended up with a kinda significant gap at the stern end of the planks.

It's a smaller gap than mine (see the last two pics in my post above).

 

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

I think I'll attempt some shims to fill in those gaps

I called mine 'splinter planks'.

 

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

before pulling out my trusty wood filler

What's that?

 

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

Always learning!

When you stop learning, you're dead.

[allanyed]

Evan

Is there a reason for not just removing the errant P6 plank and replace it with a plank that fits correctly? 

Allan

  

[EvanKeel]

On 9/18/2023 at 10:29 AM, allanyed said:

Evan

Is there a reason for not just removing the errant P6 plank and replace it with a plank that fits correctly? 

Allan

  

You're right, that would have been the best plan. I don't have spare lumber but might have been able to find enough wood in the scraps from the laser cut pieces. I'll probably do that next time. 

 

That said, the splinter planks fit nicely and there's worse transgressions in the planking made obvious once I freed it from the mold.

 

The next one'll be better!

 

 

[EvanKeel]

So......i added splinter planks and smoothed out the hull. May or may not have filled in some gaps with some woody substance.

And freed the hull from the molds. It came off nicely.

I had made a frame for the hull while it was on the mold to prevent it from spreading much and started using these now. It's not pretty but it works.

The splinter planks fit well but I can see now on the inner hull where I got a little careless with some of the planking. I'll have to take more care next time.

 

There's not as much excess glue inside the hull as I expected and I cleared that away before fitting the half frames. I'm really glad I bent a second set of frames with the first set!

Wait....what? I have to bend more of these cherry strips for the bow?? I thought I was done with that!!

Fortunately, I have a technique now and these went.... okay with minimal cursing.

 

Next, the sheer clamps. I then realized that I had 2 pieces of 3/32 x 3/16 strips; one being much longer than I need and one a bit too short. 

Tip: when making the molds, make sure you save two 36cm lengths of 3/32 × 3/16 for the sheer clamps.

Tip 2: end the sheer clamps about 1cm short of the stem to leave room for the belay pins that come later. The plans say to do this but the instructions take the sheer clamp all the way to the stem.

I cut off the ends of the frames with my cheapo Amazon rotary tool (which seems to work just fine for now, thank you)

And glued in the thwart risers and winch keepers. No issues here. Same with the mainmast step. Easy!

 

After fitting the fore thwart and bow grate, they ended up a little forward than maybe intended. Which meant that the foremast step ended up 3 or 4 mm than in the plans. Hoping this doesn't matter later. 

I'm getting ready to put in the floorboards now. I'd read in another build log that it's  wise to place some spacers under the fore ends of the floorboards to help them follow the contour of the hull and I'll  be doing that. Thanks to whoever that was!

 

One thing that bothers me is the frames. The plans seem to show the frames flush with the keel. But mine, especially the full frames,  extend a mm or so higher than the keel. i *think* it should be fine? I'm gonna sleep on it.

 

[Keith_W]

I just came across your build log. Re: staining. I stained my planks before I installed them. This is because glue prevents the stain from working. If you try to stain your planks after installation, you will find that you won't be able to get all the glue off and it will product a blotchy finish. The disadvantage is that you have to sand after installation, and this removes the stain. But that is no problem, just stain again. I realize that this advice came a little too late for you. Take a look at my build log (in my sig). 

[allanyed]

Your model is looking SUPER.   There is something that I am wondering about and I have seen it on a couple other builds here at MSW.

What is the upper strake inboard above the riser?  The gunwale would be about 4" thick and resting on top of the frames and the upper strake (outboard) but there would be no reason for an inboard strake.  I cannot find any contemporary cross section plans that show a strake inboard but hopefully a member can post one that shows this if they were used. The pics below may be more clear than my verbal explanation.  The upper drawing is from 1799.  The model is the Medway ship's boat model from 1742 and the last plan is a launch from 1779 which shows what may be washboards above the gunwale.

 Allan

 

[EvanKeel]

On 10/27/2023 at 1:00 AM, Keith_W said:

I just came across your build log. Re: staining. I stained my planks before I installed them. This is because glue prevents the stain from working. If you try to stain your planks after installation, you will find that you won't be able to get all the glue off and it will product a blotchy finish. The disadvantage is that you have to sand after installation, and this removes the stain. But that is no problem, just stain again. I realize that this advice came a little too late for you. Take a look at my build log (in my sig). 

Thanks for the advice, Keith. Another Aussie helping me! Awesome! 

As you said, I'm a bit past that but imine seems to look okay. It makes sense though and I'm learning to think ahead and not completely trust the instructions. Can we not trust anyone any more? Then again, that's part of the fun with this, no?

[EvanKeel]

On 10/27/2023 at 6:30 AM, allanyed said:

What is the upper strake inboard above the riser? 

You're right, Allan. The strake on the model shipways model might be there for modeling convenience more than historical accuracy. 

I'm gonna say, after bending those cherry frames, I'm not missing trying to bend a 4" scale gunwale. The thin ones in the kit already don't fit well!

[Keith_W]

1 hour ago, EvanKeel said:

Thanks for the advice, Keith. Another Aussie helping me! Awesome! 

As you said, I'm a bit past that but imine seems to look okay. It makes sense though and I'm learning to think ahead and not completely trust the instructions. Can we not trust anyone any more? Then again, that's part of the fun with this, no?

 

Best to think about what instructions ask you to do, and ask yourself if it's the right thing. If in doubt, run an experiment or ask in this thread. I have run several experiments over the course of making model boats, including whether any glue allows you to stain wood post installation. Answer is: none of them. Also, some stains inhibit some types of glues from working (which may be where that advice to glue before staining comes from!). I have found that oil based stains severely decrease the strength of CA glue and PVA glue, and will form a weak bond unless you let the oil fully cure, at least 1 week. Any alcohol based stain will inhibit CA glue from working until all the alcohol is gassed off. The best are water based stains, but then these tend to raise the grain and you will have to sand it to get it off, thus removing some of the stain. Even different stains made from the same company might affect glue differently. Not to mention, some alcohol based stains can also dissolve or weaken glue! None of these solutions are perfect, and you need to know whether what you have in front of you will work or not. 

For me, best practice is stain first, then wait for the stain to fully cure. You can stain some scrap at the same time. When the scrap timber holds a glue joint, proceed to install. Then sand and stain again. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Keith_W

[allanyed]

6 hours ago, EvanKeel said:

I'm not missing trying to bend a 4" scale gunwale.

For the future, ----- it can be done with relative ease using the methods Chuck Passaro presents in the four part video on proper planking techniques, or cutting from a sheet to get the bend rather actually bending a strake.   I have done both and it depends on the scale more than anything when deciding which route to take.  If I try to bend a piece I make a jig shaped to match the turn at the bow, then soak the pre-sized port and starboard pieces overnight.  In the AM I can gently bend each piece around the jig and hit it with a hot air gun until dry.  Need to remember they are mirror images as well.  Easy peasy (most of the time)  

Allan