15th century wooden boat by Pitan - FINISHED - Ships of Pavel Nikitin - 1:48

[Pitan]

This will be my first wooden boat build, so lots of learning ahead.  Please correct my errors in terminology.

The build is of a 15th C rowing boat, kit by Pavel Nikitin, originally marketed as a "Santa Maria boat".  References to Santa Maria have been dropped from the maker's website, though the packaging is unchanged.

If you'd like to see the box contents, Ron Thibault has an unboxing thread, here:

Construction has started.  The first stages were to assemble the keel, skeleton jig (?), and display base.


When in the jig, the boat will need support under the keel

This is about 3mm thick, suspect we'll need more than that, much more

A question.
I get that we remove the char from the edges of laser cut parts, but, are we supposed to thin the frames too?

I ask, because the transom (?) comes two parts, a thick support, and a thinner decorative face.


I have several options here,

• Open up the keel slot to accommodate both parts
• Split the decorative face to pass either side of the stern post
• Omit the decorative face - this will leave a part number exposed
• Other?

FWIW, the part numbers are burnt into the boat's frames along with the bevelling guides (?)


Thinning these frames to hide the part number will lose the bevelling guides; part numbers will be unsightly if not removed.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Pitan

[Louie da fly]

Hmmm, difficult question. I suppose you could try thinning the thick support? I think opening up the keel slot might make t too weak. Cutting the decorative piece in two might be better - the sternpost seem to cover all the way to the top of the decorative face. It would have to be pretty precise cutting, though.

 

Assuming the frames fit in the slots there doesn't seem to be any good reason for thinning them further. You'd just giver yourself extra work for no extra benefit, particularly as - if the photo on the box is to be believed - the frames are hidden anyway.

 

Steven

[Richard44]

On 11/5/2023 at 11:21 PM, Pitan said:

When in the jig, the boat will need support under the keel

Are you sure about that? Seems odd to me. Is your keel assembly fully seated in the jig? You may need to ease the slots at each end of the jig to allow this. Maybe try dry fitting a frame or two and see whether they are correctly fitted on the keel and in the jig.

 

Should be a neat little model.

 

Edit. You may need to ease the slots in the jig to allow the frames to fit snugly without having to push them hard.

Cheers

Edited November 8, 2023 by Richard44

[Pitan]

Thank-you Steven.
I had a look at your Venetian merchant ship, that was a colossal amount of research before even starting to cut your timbers.

I went with a variation on your first suggestion, thinning the thick support.

Instead of using the kit supplied part, I cut a couple of 2mm strips from the kit's plank sheets; much thinner than the intended part.


These strips were laid as planks on the main transom, before thinning the whole to fit the model's stern slot.


Even with thinning the transom, I succeeded in splitting the stern post(?) - seen repaired here.  (Not the only part I've broken so far.)

In that last photo, all frames have been glued to the keel, except the transom.
The boat's deck has been bent to fit the keel (more bending is needed), and support strips added from my own stock (there is enough spare material in the kit for this, but ready cut strip was a simple solution).

[Pitan]

14 minutes ago, Richard44 said:

Are you sure about that? Seems odd to me. Is your keel assembly fully seated in the jig? You may need to ease the slots at each end of the jig to allow this. Maybe try dry fitting a frame or two and see whether they are correctly fitted on the keel and in the jig.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I wound up using about 6.5 - 7mm of packing under the keel.

 

[Louie da fly]

9 hours ago, Pitan said:

Even with thinning the transom, I succeeded in splitting the stern post(?) - seen repaired here.  (Not the only part I've broken so far.)

Welcome to the world of wooden ship modelling! It won't be the last time you split a bit of wood, but don't be concerned, it happens to all of us and we seem to survive somehow. These slotted pre-fabbed keels can be a bit fragile that way, unfortunately, which is why I advised against making the slot any wider. But your solution for the transom sounds like a good one. And yes, timber is a wonderful medium - unlike with plastic kits, if you don't like what's in the kit, you can make a replacement.  

 

9 hours ago, Pitan said:

Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I wound up using about 6.5 - 7mm of packing under the keel.

Yes, that does seem a bit strange. But I think you're right putting packing of some sort in place. Don't want to break the keel!

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Steven 

[Pitan]

Progress;
The bench rails have been curved to fit the boat's ribs.  Wetting the rail, I used a heat gun set low (a hair drier would have done) while bending, and a small sponge to keep the rail damp.

This showed a (self-inflicted issue with the middle frame)

That was solved by cutting the frame away from the floor (rib), and a bit of fettling before gluing the bench rail.
(Side note, it is subtle, but I think I glued the correct rails the wrong way round ... the burnt side should face the boat's ribs.)


Also bent and attached are the boat's inner walls.  The same approach was used (wet + heat), though I feel the thin and springy wood used didn't need as much wetting.


The current state of the build

[Louie da fly]

Looking good. I'm glad your bending technique is working for you. I started out that way but I kept getting burnt fingers from holding the wood in the path of the hot air - now I use a different method - I soak the piece of wood and then bend it over the barrel of a cheap soldering iron. You can get very good results that way (and don't burn your fingers - unless you happen to touch the soldering iron by mistake).

 

BTW I don't know if they're available in the UK but in Oz you can get tiny clothes pegs from craft shops. I even managed to luck upon a set of plastic ones (much less chance of the peg sticking to the frame).

 

Oh, and you asked for help with terminology - what the general public calls "ribs" are technically known as frames. Not sure about the correct name for the bench rails - are they the timbers that support the ends of the seats (known as thwarts, by the way, though in a large oared vessel such as a galley they are known as benches. No idea why the difference.)

 

Anyway, this is coming along very nicely. Keep up the good work. And I liked your "save" for the frame that didn't line up with the others.

 

Steven

[Richard44]

11 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

BTW I don't know if they're available in the UK but in Oz you can get tiny clothes pegs from craft shops. I even managed to luck upon a set of plastic ones (much less chance of the peg sticking to the frame).

You can also use normal pegs and cut them down to suit. These were reversed before doing so.

[Louie da fly]

Nice idea, mate. This would work with plastic ones, too - so no probs with clamps getting glued to the ship (well, not if you use PVA glue, anyway).

[Pitan]

Thanks guys

15 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

Oh, and you asked for help with terminology

I did, and I meant it.  Thank-you Steven.

Smaller clothes pegs are available over here; easy to find in the online store named for a long river.

Cutting the pegs (as Richard suggests) makes sense.  I may do that for the next model (essentially this build is a rehearsal for the similar, if larger, Shallop).

The build:
Right now, I'm working on the clinker planks (?)

Working these in opposed pairs, I've found a process that seems to work.
Essentially, bend the plank, clamping it in place for the curve to settle (and, if damp, the plank to dry off).

Once settled, file (bevel) the top of the preceding plank, using the frame's teeth as a guide*.
The bevel helps deal with some of the vagaries in construction, giving a small additional gluing edge.

 

* Could be done before bending the new plank to conform.

[Richard44]

6 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

Nice idea, mate. This would work with plastic ones, too - so no probs with clamps getting glued to the ship (well, not if you use PVA glue, anyway).

Thanks Steven.

 

Another trick is to disassemble the pegs and reassemble them so that you get a much larger flat, and tapered,  surface that will help with the clamping. 

Cheers

 

PS Those pegs have seen a lot of models. 🙂

Edited November 14, 2023 by Richard44

[Pitan]

Been quiet for a few days, but, have made progress.
The hull is fully planked


Which looks good from the side, but - next time, I want to do better with the bow planking

 

Work has been carried out on the oars - here as taken off the blank

After filing and sanding

 

I broke three of them during sanding, and again snapped one when setting up that photo .


Next stage, varnishing...

[Auger]

On 11/14/2023 at 7:19 AM, Richard44 said:

Thanks Steven.

 

Another trick is to disassemble the pegs and reassemble them so that you get a much larger flat, and tapered,  surface that will help with the clamping. 

Cheers

 

PS Those pegs have seen a lot of models. 🙂

Great idea!!

[Bryan Woods]

I think small utility boats are the best fit for me. Your boat is looking great! It makes me want to start the shallop kit by Pavel Nikitin.

[Pitan]

Thanks @Bryan Woods, I too have the shallop. I plan to start that soon after finishing this vessel.

[Bryan Woods]

9 minutes ago, Pitan said:

I plan to start that soon

If I can’t get a good start soon on the Gretel, I may put it aside and start with you:-)

[Pitan]

Varnishing is done, rudder hinges made from 10 thou plasticard (and wire pins), and a short painter (? rope at bow for tying up?) added.

Think this is done.

 

 

 

 

[JacquesCousteau]

Nice job!

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, particularly for a first wooden build!

 

Steven

[Knocklouder]

Congratulations on your first boat, she's a keeper. Nicely done.    

[Pitan]

Thank-you guys

[James G]

Well done, Robert!

[Bryan Woods]

One to be proud of! 👏

[Pitan]

Thank-you everybody for your kind comments.