18th-Century Merchantman Half Hull Planking Kit by JacquesCousteau - FINISHED - NRG - 1:48

[robert952]

 I'd refer to the Bob Ross aspects of "happy accidents' on the outcome of the plank colors.  I agree, brings out the planking job very nicely.  

[Jim M]

@JacquesCousteau very nice. i received my kit last week and i have been looking at the documentation. Your build helps in the explanation though I am still a little lost.

[JacquesCousteau]

2 hours ago, Jim M said:

@JacquesCousteau very nice. i received my kit last week and i have been looking at the documentation. Your build helps in the explanation though I am still a little lost.

Thanks! Despite some issues with fairing and figuring out the stern/counter, I've found this to be a very fun and worthwhile kit that's definitely taught me a lot. I'd highly recommend starting a build log, and I'd be happy to try to answer any questions.

[Jim M]

13 hours ago, JacquesCousteau said:

Thanks! Despite some issues with fairing and figuring out the stern/counter, I've found this to be a very fun and worthwhile kit that's definitely taught me a lot. I'd highly recommend starting a build log, and I'd be happy to try to answer any questions.

That is my plan. I am finishing my Dory, and will start the Norwegian Pram and the half hull

[ChuckCHS]

Anyone...

As I start this kit I notice on Frame (Bulkhead) A, there is a slight vertical laser cut line. It can bee seen in the very first post and some other posts further along in the log. I am wondering if there is reason for this line?  I went through the instructions and can find no reference to it. Maybe I'm missing what the point of the line is. Can anyone enlighten me.

 

Thanks

Chuck

[JacquesCousteau]

51 minutes ago, ChuckCHS said:

Anyone...

As I start this kit I notice on Frame (Bulkhead) A, there is a slight vertical laser cut line. It can bee seen in the very first post and some other posts further along in the log. I am wondering if there is reason for this line?  I went through the instructions and can find no reference to it. Maybe I'm missing what the point of the line is. Can anyone enlighten me.

 

Thanks

Chuck

Hi Chuck, I don't think there's a reason for the line. My guess is that it's a relic from an earlier design phase, like the hash marks on the frames that look like they mark out the planking bands. Perhaps an earlier version of the kit used a large "false keel" spine and the vertical line was meant to help with alignment. Toni Levine, who designed the kit, would know more than me, though. In any case, I wouldn't worry about the line, as it doesn't serve any purpose I can discern. If you start a build log, people would love to follow along with your build!

[JacquesCousteau]

I removed the model from the building board before adding the next coats of linseed oil. Of course I dropped it almost as soon as it was off and dented the sternpost. 

 

Ah well.

 

Further coats of linseed oil really brought some nice color to the wood. Is there any sort of finish I'm supposed to apply over the linseed oil, or can I leave it as‐is?

 

Finally, I've also finished making a very basic frame out of pine and mdf. Nothing to write home about, but I think it will work with the hull colors and textures.

 

All that's left to do is to add a magnetic mounting to attach the hull to the frame.

[ChuckCHS]

Thanks Jacques...

Build logs are not my best work. For me, they take much time which at this point shortens modeling time. I really appreciate the builders who take the time and effort to do them. They provide much needed assistance to beginners like me. And the pictures are outstanding! But as you suggest, maybe I see if I can start one.

 

Thanks again

Chuck

[JacquesCousteau]

This build is finished!

 

Following advice received on my separate post about making magnetic mountings, I decided to use simple black magnets instead of stronger neodymium ones, and I built a sort of base structure around each magnet with 1/8 and 1/16-inch basswood. This way, if the magnets start to slide over time with gravity, the frame magnet will catch against the upper support piece. I decided to go with three magnet pairs in order to have a stable connection. I had trouble getting the frame magnets to stick to the smooth background, so I ended up having to scrape off the paint at each magnet point to get a more secure connection. I glued the fore and aft magnets first after positioning the hull, and then marked the location for the central magnet by placing a small dab of paint on it before mounting the hull.

 

(As can be seen, I had a lot of trouble getting the paper residue off the backs of the frames, but as this won't be seen, I decided against spending a lot of time and effort removing it.)

 

 

 

 

Overall, I'm happy with how the hull turned out, and looking forward to hanging it somewhere on my wall. I like how the hull color ended up more or less matching the frame (although as can be seen, the lighting and camera settings really make a difference in what color the hull actually presents).

 

 

 

A few brief thoughts on the kit are in order. Overall, I found this to be an excellent and very informative build. I feel confident tackling curved hull forms now, and learned a lot about spiling, measuring and marking bands, etc. Having a half-hull kit to teach this really allows you to focus on getting the planking right, without worrying about any other aspect of the build (or about getting the planking even on each side). Toni Levine did a fantastic job with developing this kit, and her instructions and build log (not to mention a lot of other build logs elsewhere on the site) were extremely helpful in explaining how to handle planking. 

 

That said, there are a few things that I think could be improved. Most importantly, fairing the hull was more complicated than I think necessary, in part because I think the frame design leaves a lot of room for builder error to creep in. This is especially the case at the bow and stern, but even around the middle of the hull, I had to do a lot of shimming to end up with a fair hull. I feel that it would be simpler to just provide full bulkheads that reach up to deck level or so, and/pr possibly to have included some sort of false deck to better lock the frames into position. From what I understand, the frame design was chosen to make it easier to clamp the planks while gluing, but few of my clamps were the right size for that. The fairing challenges were compounded by what I felt was a lack of clear photos in the manual of the stern, which made it very difficult for a relative beginner to figure out the right shape.

 

All of which is to say, I still highly recommend this kit to anyone looking to learn the proper way to plank. They should just be very careful with setting up the frames, should look at a lot of other build logs to figure out the stern, and should be prepared to do a ton of sanding while fairing. Otherwise, though, this can be a very informative and meditative build that produces a great model. Thanks for following along!

[Seventynet]

Very nice job and something to be proud of!

 

Ian

[Paul Le Wol]

Jacques,congratulations on finishing the half hull project. This is an exceptional result. Very impressive.

[Ronald-V]

That looks like a nice piece of art with the framing and black background  

 

Well done! 👌

[Desertanimal]

Congratulations on completing the build. Your work is astounding, the tightness on those joints is something to envy. Love the presentation.

[SiriusVoyager]

That is a very professional looking half hull.  Great job!

[JacquesCousteau]

Thanks, all, for the kind words! I can see a lot of errors and issues when I look closely, but I'm happy with how it all comes together.

[Thukydides]

Great job, I like the black background. It makes the excellent planking job really stand out.

[ccoyle]

Congratulations! I think that's a very handsome display.

[Jim M]

@JacquesCousteau very nice indeed.  something to be proud of for sure. 

 

jim

[mtaylor]

Beautiful build and also the display.   The display is very unique and adds something, IMO.