Cheerful build on hold....drop plank phobia

[bigcreekdad]

I purchased Chuck's Cheerful plans and lots of Alaskan Cedar wood several years ago. I was doing great (IMO) and had the planking started when I got to the drop plank. After several botched attempts, I put the build on hold. Have gone back several times to give it another go, but always retreat again. It pisses me off every time I go to my basement and see it sitting there in limbo. Such a beautiful ship and great plans. Has anyone else run into this kind of mental road block before?

[Wintergreen]

Guess a lot of us have...

How about addressing something other than the issue that keeps you from the build? Plan for rigging, do some other small tasks.

Usually, practise makes perfect, and if we always stop at the same step, we will never succeed. 
I know my planking on my current build is not perfect. There are gaps and other ugliness, but I've decided that I'm fine with that. My goal is to finish the build and at the same time practise some lost skills.

Hopefully my next hull will be fairer.

Kind'a - just do it! 

 

That said, if you can pinpoint what the trouyble is there are a lot of members here that will help you sort it out.

 

[mtaylor]

I'm there with you on my Belle Poule.   I don't know how many planks I've cut and tossed.   But I'll keep at it.  Just trying to make sure I don't do the same things over and over again and expect different results as that's where insanity lies.

[Dr PR]

bigcreekdad,

 

Is there any model builder who has never run into this problem? I am finishing a model I started in the 1980s and lost enthusiasm for back when. But now I am enjoying it immensely (while another partly finished model gathers dust)!

 

If you are frustrated you should ask yourself if ship modeling is really something you want to do. If you are still enthusiastic about modelling you should work on other parts of the model while thinking of the planking problem as a challenge. Study it, and look at what others have done. One of these days you will have a "satori moment," and the solution will be obvious.

 

[OllieS]

This is not a model boat problem. iI's just another example of a the universal human problem which is the creation of the mental obstacle of perfection.

You can't scale it, all you can do is keep going upwards at an angle to the slope you can cope with. It also helps to switch to another part of the same project to change the mood. Many people switch to a different project but this doesn't solve the initial problem.

[druxey]

Make card patterns for fit first - saves both wood and frustration!

[Toolmaker]

I’m in line with OllieS here. It’s likely not an issue with the drop plank in particular but perhaps with enthusiasm for the hobby in general. This hobby enthusiasm ebbs and flows for most people. Some get it back again (sometimes again and again) and some people give up a hobby as, not for them.

A hobby is a choice, and one that should be enjoyed. 

 

Regarding Cheerful in particular, I am doing the same build. It has been a challenge which is good. It is not perfect, unlike the one in the instruction book which leads to some frustration, but it is a big improvement on my previous build. You could leave the drop plank and go inboard. False deck, inboard planking, deck planking. This might help to restore the passion.

I have been building wooden ships for about 4 years and only now do I feel slightly competent.

 

Lastly I mention the hobby working environment. If you don’t like being in the basement then you are unlikely to want to spend time there. 
 

Regards

Paul

 

[bigcreekdad]

Wow...lots of comments. I've been building ships for over 12 years. Have six complete under my belt, and a couple misfires. So, if I didn't enjoy it I'm clearly into some type of self abuse (lol). I got away from serious modeling for over a year while I built an online collectable postage stamp store. I now have a pretty complete inventory of the countries I enjoy, and have more time to model. I started the HMS Brig Supply and am ready to start the first planking. I do my building in my den, but sawing etc in the basement. That's where the Cheerful is hiding. Some day, I'll get back to it.