Captain John Smiths shallop 1608 by rjones726 - Ships of Pavel Nikitin - 1:32

[rjones726]

 

Good day all,

 

After watching a you tube build series of the shallop (Thank you Olha)I decided that this was the kit for me. It seems to be challenging, but not so difficult that I'll give up in disgust (time will tell)

 

I posted a photo in the "At a glance" topic this morning and then decided, "What the heck, I might as well start a build log as well".

 

As you can see, construction is already underway. One of the things that drew me in was the use of jigs. Keeping things in alignment is critical and has caused me fits in the past. Once the jig was built and the 3 piece keel was together I began working on the frames. another jig is provided to ensure proper alignment during their construction. The pieces have a laser line that shows how much fairing is needed. I took my time to look at the instructions and to rewatch the video to ensure the pieces were placed correctly in the jig before gluing with PVA. I wrote "bow" and "stern" on the jig to remind me which way to insert the pieces. The instructions, while very clear, contain no text. Once the glue had dried I removed them and used files and sandpaper to remove the char and begin fairing. I stopped a bit short of the mark and will finish the fairing once the frames are glues and I can check them with a plank.

 

Looking forward to your comments and questions,

 

v/r,

Rob

 

[Chuck Seiler]

Rob,

 

    Welcome to the Shallop Build.  I have planked the hull and fine tuning before working the interior.  I have not started a buildlog because........ anywho

 

    A couple recommendos: 

 

1.  Be careful with the cant frames.  Several people (including myself) had problems with those.  I found that, while the frame building jigs for the square frames worked great, the jigs for the cants had alot to be desired.  I ended up building the cant frames onto the hull, using the framing jig as an aid.  Hard to explain but once I started it, it made sense.

 

2.  When you fair your frames, be sure to take it to the line...and maybe a few sandpaper swipes beyond.  I was not as observant and when I planked, many of my planks ended up being a millimeter too short.  😪

 

    Good luck.  I look forward to your build. 

[rjones726]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the advice on the cant frames. I am filing and sanding the forward frames this week and saved the cant frames for last. Did you do all your fairing prior to attaching the frames to the keel? My plan is to fine tune it after they are attached. 

v/r,

Rob

[Chuck Seiler]

    My plan was similar to yours-general fairing (faring?) before assembling, then fine tuning once assembled.  IIRC, you have to do some fairing or else the frame will not fit into the jig.

[rjones726]

 Today I completed the initial fairing of the frames ( minus the fore/aft cant frames). I took it out of the building jig to admire my work and realized how difficult it would be (for me) to properly align everything without it. I'm going to fine tune the fairing and remove any remaining char, then on Friday my lovely wife and I will be boarding a cruise ship in Seattle and heading to Alaska for a week of relaxation. Sort of like shore leave but...not ashore