Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack by MajorChaos - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:24

[MajorChaos]

Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack by MajorChaos - Model Shipways - 1:24

 

Third in a series of progressive model tutorials. The Dory is complete, model 1. The Pram, model 2, is almost done as of this writing. 
 

The Dory build Finished

The Pram build Finished

The Dory and the Pram have their short nick names we all seem to use, not sure what to short name this one yet. 
 

Started April 8th 2023. 

 

 

[MajorChaos]

Works done on the first 3 steps, needed a part from sheet 5. Port side from sheet 2 goes on top of the first picture. 
 

I made a new hole for the centerboard. The pull rod fits the slot this way. It will work out or it won’t. 
 

it said careful not to glue the top piece in the wrong place, I marked out where not to put glue on both starboard and port spine sides. 
 

I just noticed they both say Spine Port Side, obviously one is port lol. On sheet 5 is Starboard port side. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

Back to the Pram in the morning to finish up a few more things. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by MajorChaos

[MajorChaos]

Anyone build this will go thru all these same steps. This is yet another lesson to think ahead of the steps. 
 

A moveable centerboard requires more work than is described. It requires trimming a clearance work that is not spelled out. For them first time in this build series I like that fact. It requires one to work harder than the given instructions. To succeed getting a functioning  smooth movement centerboard requires a good effort. 
 

I stained the seat area, cherry stain. It looks a whole lot like walnut. 🤷🏻‍♂️It had no reds in it, maybe it need stirred up, but it all looks brown in the bottle. 
 

This completes up to step 8, the deck is complete. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MajorChaos]

I trimmed the deck former, it left the center higher. I saw this after I had one side done. It had a wave in the deck. I sawed off one saw blade of the former and made the deck flow smoothly. I hope this works out. Lol. It was notched there so, it looks like it flows well. 
 

I think the notches are the deck formers are just for this ready to not have a tight corner to fight with. The deck went on very easy compared to what I thought it would go like. 

 

[MajorChaos]

Step 9, Fairing the hull.

Sanding until it all flows, it needs a bit more in areas. It says to use a sanding dowel, I don’t see it, in the hollow areas. Not sure what hollow areas are talked about. 
 

Step 10, Stem, keel and sternpost. 
I almost got this right, I ending up with one side offset a bit, nobody will know lol. 
 

The garboard and planking is next. I’m fascinated with how the parts were designed. How the curves were discovered. The lengths and the angles. It’s a complex 3D surface, the planks will likely fall into place with a little bit of work. The lower portion of the garboard settles into a perfect straight slot, but it has a curve to the edge that must lay flat when placed in its proper location. The last picture shows the curve. A good place to stop for the day. 
 

2 movies work time lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by MajorChaos
Flipped a picture

[GGibson]

It all looks really good, Major! 

[MajorChaos]

Wetting and training wood takes time. Waiting to let it dry back down to a normal moisture level is brutal. I have a dryer on the way to help speed up the drying time. 
Garboard looks great, plank 1 needs some trimming and sanding to lay in place. It’s close. My goal is no filler. 
 

I am just about ready for a bigger project. 
 

 

[MajorChaos]

Another row almost ready to glue. This is going to take forever. Time to learn some speed tricks. 
 

[MajorChaos]

Planking is complete. 
The first layer should have been flat. No bending. I formed it into place and ran out of plank coverage on the bow.

 

Wetting, drying with a small hair dryer and gluing took many hours. I did try to clean up gaps as I went. A larger model would be easier to keep the gaps smaller. 
 

I certainly learned a few planking tricks. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[druxey]

Coming along nicely, M.C.

[MajorChaos]

34 minutes ago, druxey said:

Coming along nicely, M.C.

Thank you. I’m stuck on what to use for filler. I tried to not need it, but that ship has sailed. Lol. 

[druxey]

It's almost impossible not to use a little filler. I recommend Lepage's wood filler. Many folk use the automotive body filler, Bondo.

[MajorChaos]

1 hour ago, druxey said:

It's almost impossible not to use a little filler. I recommend Lepage's wood filler. Many folk use the automotive body filler, Bondo.

 

We don't have Le Page brand in the states that I can find. 

 

You don't happen to be David, the model designer, are you? 

[Claire7]

On 4/8/2023 at 7:34 PM, MajorChaos said:

The Dory and the Pram have their short nick names we all seem to use, not sure what to short name this one yet

I vote we call it the Lobster 😂. I’m thinking I’ll order it to make after the Pram, looks great!

[MajorChaos]

Planking sanded a bit. I’ve looked at most wood fillers, Gorilla is to grainy. I ordered LePage out of Canada to the States, it will be a few weeks to get it. Then I can continue this project. It’s not bad so far. Fairing is a trick to learn well for sure. 
 

 

[Paul Le Wol]

Major, very nice planking! I’ve found that applying a little diluted pva in between the planks (where it needs filling) and sanding before it dries works pretty good and helps to bond the planks together. You could try a test with a couple of couple of pieces of scrap 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Paul Le Wol

[MajorChaos]

@Paul Le Wol I was doing that with the yellow wood glue. Every time I use white glue it shrinks to nothing and is 10% of its size. Maybe it would blend with sanding dust, I did consider that. 

[MajorChaos]

Completed thru Step 32 Rudder

 

I’ve taken pictures of strategic spots from 19 thur 31. No picture of the rudder was taken with this batch. 
 

The oarlock pads from the punch out didn’t seem right. The instructions show oarlock pads like made with the Dory. They should be 1/8 in tall, mine are to short, I’ll leave them like I have them, I want to finish, not achieve perfection. 
 

I’m sure I’ll regret not painting something at this time, but I’ll deal with that later. 
 

I had to add material to the beakhead, not sure why it was angled down and was not tall enough. Working on 3 kits at the same time I’ve got all kinds of scrap around me now haha. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by MajorChaos

[MajorChaos]

The rudder. Step 32. 
 

[MajorChaos]

My attempt at paint. Step 36. The goal is to finish. Not to be perfect. 
Tamiya masking tape works good. 
 

 

 

[MajorChaos]

Welcome back to the Smack build. 
 

Step 37 Bobstay eyebolt placed.

Step 38 Traveler made and mounted. Made and added the block, after a few attempts with the soft copper, I’m used to stainless steel safety wire. Copper is much softer. 
Step 39 The tiller is painted and test placed. Once it drys, epoxy in place is next. The instructions call out a 5/8 block. A thick piece of scrap is right at 5/8 off the seats where the block would sit. 
Step 42 The bowsprit has been finished for some time. It is placed but not glued down.

 

I had stopped on this one too, just before the rigging. This has not been my favorite project, but I’m giving it my best. I want to learn rigging, and get better at it. I looked at my Pram today with all tan rigging and it just didn’t ‘look right’, now that I understand running rigging and standing rigging. 
 

 

 

[MajorChaos]

Step 40 Fairleads done

Step 41 Trail Boards done 

Step 43 Chainplates done 

Step 44 Cleats done, turnbuckles has one bad forming, getting a replacement soon hopefully. 
Step 45 Mast, made out of a dowel rod. Biggest take way is the 7:10:7 method to make stuff round, one of the shining learnings building this Smack. 
Step 46 Mast fittings. Done. Put the mast hoops on after installing the cleats, 🙄. 
Step 47 Boom. Done.

Step 48 Gaff. Done.

Step 49 Stropping blocks, done. 
 

Ready for step 50, making sails. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10 by MajorChaos

[SiriusVoyager]

Everything looks so clean and precise. Nice work!

Edited February 11 by SiriusVoyager

[MajorChaos]

I’ll just do the entire sheet in one stop. It will be dry by morning I hope. 
 

I’ve got a large pile of ships I could start next. Wrapping this one up is important. Then the longboat. The scale rope order arrived today, I got enough for the Bluenose too. 
 

[MajorChaos]

Waiting for sail glue to dry is brutal. I’ve found ways to decrease build time with Titebond quick and thick, and some 5 min epoxy. Waiting for white glue to dry/cure is brutal. 

 

Measure 3 times mark once. Seams should have been 3/4 inch spacing. I miscalculated and made it 7/8 or so. I added the seams to my calculation, I didn’t notice the seam was 3/4 front edge to front edge. Every ship has a math error on it. It’s like my trade mark. 🤣. Only sharp eyes will see it anyways. 
 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11 by MajorChaos

[druxey]

Drying dilute white glue? Have you tried a hair dryer?

[MajorChaos]

3 hours ago, druxey said:

Drying dilute white glue? Have you tried a hair dryer?

Diluted white glue, yes. 
I tried a hairdryer, it didn’t seem to do much. It certainly wasn’t quick at all.  The matt is cold so it was harder to warm up. I tried low heat and hot. To keep the sail material stable I stopped, it shrinks at different temps, and I had no good way to keep the temp the same across the sail. I need a break from time to time anyways, watching tv and glue dry isn’t all that bad. 
 

Now I’m waiting for strings to dry lol. 
 

Edited February 12 by MajorChaos

[SiriusVoyager]

Just mentioning this because I see you using Elmers school glue and I recently learned something about it.  It is runnier and takes longer to dry than Elmer's glue all (I realize it is diluted for the sails now anyway) .  I had been assuming they are the same thing and that the school glue part was just marketing.  I wish I had known that prior to my third boat.

Edited February 13 by SiriusVoyager

[MajorChaos]

@SiriusVoyager Excellent point. I figured all Elmers white glue was the same. School Glue must have more water content already, then adding more makes it cure/dry slower. I'm only using white glue for sails and strings. Its ok that it takes time to dry, it makes me slow down. I keep doing this like its a race, and I'm not racing anyone. I do get excited about getting stuff done and have little patience. 

 

I bought some leather hole punches to cut the small holes in the sails. Drilling with a drill bit doesn't make a nice hole, or at least I can't get a nice hole this way. 

 

I have all the rigging rope prepped, stiffened with white glue, I like they way this looks. It makes them look taught on the ship when placed. They don't droop much. I used the nylon included with the kit. I bought some really nice Syren rope, but I'm not sure how to treat it. I've looked everywhere I know to see if I should white glue this good stuff too. I saw where someone said not to use bees wax, which I've never tried to use yet. I'm waiting for the hole punches and some replacement metal bits to continue. 

 

 

I'm clearly avoiding the rigging, I've had 2 other kits open fighting the urge to start another ship....... Medway Longboat 1742 in a box, it smells so good too. 

Edited February 13 by MajorChaos

[robert952]

11 hours ago, MajorChaos said:

I'm clearly avoiding the rigging, I've had 2 other kits open fighting the urge to start another ship....... Medway Longboat 1742 in a box, it smells so good too. 

That new model smell.  😁