Lynx by Basic – Panart

[Basic]

My first foray into these foreign waters, a Build Log by Basic.

 

After much thought and research, I finally decided to jump head first into the hobby and buy my first kit. (Hoorah!)  To begin my selection, I spent quite a good deal of time going over reference materials, posts on these forums and advice given by some of the more experienced members of MSW (Thanks ladies and gents, you know who you are!).  I came to the conclusion that the single, most important factor in selecting that all important first kit is this: It MUST be a kit that you find personally interesting in some way, which will significantly help you through the first build.  I chose the Lynx in part because I find her rather elegant and graceful, and also because I really like the schooner class of ships.  I picked her up off an eBay auction, and within a few days she was sitting on my desk, waiting for the build to start.

 

The first thing I must mention is that I was pretty intimidated when I first opened the box; there were so many pieces and it all seemed rather daunting at the time.  After a few deep breaths I plunged in, and started going through the parts, instruction manual and schematics.  The first thing I noticed was that all the schematics were in Italian, a language that I am not very familiar with.  My saving grace, a small instructions manual, was quickly discovered at the bottom of the box and I breathed a sigh of relief.  After going through all the documents, I came to realize that the one thing that was hindering my ability to discern if all the parts were included was that I had very little working knowledge of the terminology of the ship building world. After a bit of research, I managed to piece it together well enough to be fairly confident that all the parts are accounted for. I managed to work around the sheer number of pieces by picking up a small cubby box, one of the ones commonly used to store small nails, screws, etc, and set it up on my desk.  This helped me organize all the small parts into their own compartments and greatly relieved the clutter on my work surface.  Unfortunately, as was explained in my introduction post to MSW, I have not yet managed to liberate my basement from the snooker table which currently lurks down there, so my work surface is not ideal at the moment, but I’m working on that.

 

The work has started off rather slowly, considering that I am constantly checking and rechecking each task, and quite frankly I’m okay with this.  I want to make sure that I avoid the common mistakes by thinking and planning ahead, which I’m sure will help save me a few headaches down the road.  

 

So far, I have dry fit all the bulkheads to the keel, as well as the sub-deck and the aft platform.  I have begun to glue shims to the bulkheads to correct for the play that these parts have within their slots on the keel, and glue the bulkheads into place.  I have also glued a set of reinforcing blocks to each side of the keel by each bulkhead slot, to ensure that the bulkheads are correctly positioned and have more surface area to create a strong adhesion.  In the photo below, you can see the dry fitting of the bulkheads to the keel, as well as the first set of reinforcement blocks being glued & clamped to the keel. Excuse the poor lighting, I have yet to properly set up my work area!

[Jay 1]

Glad eBay worked out for getting the kit, and looks like you're off to a great start, John! Plenty of great help on the forum--it's been a huge help on my builds.

 

Jay

[aliluke]

Welcome to MSW kit builds Basic,

Lots of friends are here. I don't know of this kit  - can you post a picture of the box lid? Look forward to your progress.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Robert Surcouf]

Lynx - hmmm something we should enter ... soon! 

So build it up that we can grab it from your harbour and use it as a pirateer.

Looks like to be fast and handy

Edited September 18, 2013 by Robert Surcouf

[augie]

Welcome aboard Basic. 

 

Glad you took the plunge.  You'll find plenty of help here on MSW.  The folks on here helped get me through my first build.  So don't be afraid to post questions.

 

You've picked a very nice vessel to model.  I know this as I had the Pan Art kit in the closet for about 20 years.  As it turns out, I gave her to a friend who took interest in ship modeling when I started Syren so I let him have it to get started.  Unfortunately he has set it on the 'back burner' so I've yet to see one completed.  I also have never seen one on MSW.

 

So let's make yours the first!  BEST OF LUCK on your maiden voyage.

[Basic]

- Aliluke

 

Attached is a picture of the kit, please excuse the poor quality lighting of the picture, it was taken awhile ago just to show my buddies the kit.  If it is not discernable, I can upload a better quality picture when I get home!

 

- Augie

 

I'm quite proud to be the first then! I will try to keep you all updated with my progress of the build as often as I can! Thank you for the kind wishes!

 

As for a small progress report, I have continued to assemble the bulkheads to the keel, and have completed 3 more bulkheads since my last post.  I unfortunately do not have a picture of this, as I completed it with moments to spare before having to run out to catch the train to class.  Once I have all the bulkheads installed, as well as the joints properly sanded and ready for further construction, I will post another updated picture!

 

 

 

 

[Robert Surcouf]

I want to recommend to work

 

hard,

correct and

detailed

 

to asure all of us in getting a very good prise

once the lynx is ready to sail.

 

hahaha

 

for god and the king

 

[Basic]

Finally, some time to work on the Lynx! 

 

I've made some small amount of progress since my last log update, life has been pretty hectic recently with midterms and everything.

 

 I have finished assembling the bulkheads to the keel, including the support blocks that help steady each bulkhead. The aft deck has been installed, including the transom, and the fore and aft supports for the hull planking have been sanded and installed.  I just started the planking of the hull this morning, starting with the wale on the port side of the ship.  

 

I have run into a bit of an issue with my electric plank bender, however.  I purchased the plank bender from model expo, it is new, in great condition, etc.  I noticed that when I plugged it in to start bending my hull planks, it started smoking around where the base of the metal wand meets the plastic handle.  I was wondering, is this normal for the first time use of an electric plank bender? 

Edited October 20, 2013 by Basic

[augie]

Looks like a great start on her.  Can't comment on the plank bender.

[Scallywag]

Any progress over the last couple of months, Basic?  I received the same kit for Christmas, and I'm anxious to start!

[fnkershner]

Basic - If you are still out there. I too am a fan of the Baltimore clipper. So I look forward to this build. two comments:

 

1. On the plank bender. Like you when I first started I bought the same bender. I must confess that I have planked 2 models and have found that I prefer not to use it. I simply soak my planks that be patient. That seems to be sufficient.

2. You are a very lucky man. Since you are in Montreal. There are several very good modelers there.

[Basic]

Hey everyone, its been awhile!

 

Yes, I am still out here, and I have made a bit of progress on the build. The last few weeks have been quite hectic with finals and the holidays!

 

I have made some progress since my last posting, mainly just continuing the planking of the hull. I have ran into a few issues along the way and I'm working through them as I go. The first one was an issue with oversanding one of the bulkhead sections. The instructions were somewhat unclear concerning the sanding of the front three bulkheads, and due to my lack of experience, I made the mistake of oversanding them by a significant amount :S. To solve the issue, I ended up gluing on a few "shims", small pieces of wood to fill the void between the inner hull and the bulkhead frame. Unfortunately, through attempting to fix this problem, I inadvertantly introduced another problem, where I didnt sand the shims enough, and didnt realize this until halfway through planking the port side. This led to a distorted front hull section, which I an still trying to figure out how to fix. Unfortunately I am posting this from my mobile, so I don't have the pictures with me to show you exactly what i'm talking about, but i'll post them later on when I get home. Hopefully with a view of the issue, you guys might be able to give me a few pointers on how to fix this!!

 

To respond to your comments (sorry, on my phone I can't see/link your username!), I find that I use the plank bender less and less every time I sit down to plank the Lynx. At first I tried to use it exclusively, but I found it just got tiresome and I ended up just reverting to soaking the planks and being patient, with the exception of a few cases where I needed dramatic reshaping of the planks. Its not that it doesnt work well, it really does, I just find that sometimes its easier to just use the soak method instead of guessing the amount that I need to bend the planks with the electric plank bender and checking against the frame of the ship.

 

In terms of my location, I have found a few really good suppliers in my area, that sell pretty much anything that I would need for this hobby, at really good prices. Out of curiosity, do you know the usernames of the talented ship builders in Montreal that you were referring to? Might be useful to have some local modellers to ask questions in the future!

 

Thanks guys! I will update with new pictures soon!

Edited January 1, 2014 by Basic

[Basic]

Here are a few quick photos to show the progress over the last month or so on the Lynx.  The planking isn't the prettiest, but its definitely taught me a lot of lessons about what to do and what not to do! Haha

[Basic]

On the third picture, you can see what I was talking about earlier with the distorted planking.  I'm working on figuring out a solution to this, but so far the only thing I think might work is to just sand the crap out of it and try to smooth the surface enough that this mistake won't show with the outer hull planking... 

[augie]

Just be careful or you'll sand right through the planking right down to the bulkheads.  Since you have another layer of planking you're still ok.  You may wish to try some filler in the low spots before you break out the sandpaper.

[fnkershner]

Basic - I am the last person to offer help on planking. I am currently about to exit planking hell on my current project. See the link in my signature. But let me offer a couple ideas. First off since you are double planking. You can get away with lots of flubs on the first layer as long as it is a smooth run. I try to use the first layer as an opportunity to practice so that the 2nd looks good. In your current case I would use filler all over. I did this on my first kit and the results were great. You really can't use too much putty. if you do all you have to do is a bit more sanding.

 

I personally think the manufacturers came up with the idea of double planking so they could cut the cost of shipping a solid hull that you will plank once. I think a solid hull is easier to plank than 2 layers.

 

So with a mind to your 2nd layer there are a couple rules you should be aware of. No pointy planks. Look at your 3rd pic. On a real ship this would be a point of stress and instant leak. A tapered plank should never get to less than 1/2 of its original width. Looking at your pictures I would also suggest that you plank from the top and bottom and meet in the middle. The reason for this is you want a real clean garboard strake next to the keel. You will also find that the first few planks from the keel are pretty straight and need very little adjustment. I would also not use any nails. If you use them just leave them in long enough for the glue to set and then remove them. They are going to give you fits when it comes to the 2nd layer.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Floyd Kershner

[Basic]

Thanks for the tips Floyd and Augie!

 

Floyd: I agree with your point about the 1st layer of planking is a good practice for planking the outer hull, believe me, I have learned A LOT just from what I have done so far.  I think I will start the bottom planking from the keel up and meet in the middle like you suggested, I have a feeling this will save me a lot of headaches in the near future! As for the nails, I use them mainly as pins to prevent the planks from moving, in conjunction with the clamps wherever possible.  I take the nails out as I go (as you can see in the upper layers of planking in the above pics) and sand the planks smooth afterwards.  The nails that you see in the picture are there because I had just finished planking those sections and the glue was not completely set at that point.  

 

Augie: I think that the filler will end up being my saving grace. I've been mulling the issue over in my head recently, and the only other solution I can think of would be to remove all the planking and restart from scratch, but I would like to avoid this as much as possible. I think that with sufficient filling and sanding I can make the profile of the hull more or less uniform, as the shims were added on both sides (although the gaps are slightly larger on the port side, if I must be honest). 

[fnkershner]

Now I understand about the nails. Remember you can't use nails on the 2nd layer. You don't want the holes to show unless you plan on treenailing.  But it won't be a problem since you will have the first layer to use for clamping. When I do 2 layers I use Push pins on the edge of the plank. Also there is the CA glue Spot welding technique many modelers use. Once you have the first layer done and shaped the hull. when you begin the 2nd layer use mostly PVA glue. But at critical points use just a very small drop of CA. The CA will set in the count of 10 and hold until the PVA sets. In fact the moisture of the PVA will make the CA set even faster than normal.

 

I created a thread in the tools section that show how to use binder clips to make hull clamps for the first layer. I find that works even better than the pins.

 

Also if you plan on painting. you could consider not even bothering with the 2nd layer of planking. Unless you want more practice.

 

I think from now on I will only build ships that are painted or have copper bottoms.

[aliluke]

Hi Basic

I agree with all that Floyd has said. However, looking at your photos I can see laser char on almost all the bulkheads. There should be none if your bulkheads are properly faired and I think this is your undoing - but that is for next time. The fairing should be full length of the hull and only the bulkheads in the middle should be square to their breadth. Even then the char should be gone. 

 

Use fill like mad next then sand and then lay the second planking on a well formed hull. Everything underneath that will disappear! As Floyd says, for that second layer, get the garboard plank in parallel to the keel and the waterline or wale plank (depending on your instructions) in and then work down and up. Always keep the planks rising, follow Floyd's half plank tapering rule and you'll be OK.

 

I like double planking - it gives me a sense of what is next and you can break all the rules in the book on the first layer and still make a good job on the second!

 

Cheers

Alistair

[juhu]

Will be watching this thread. I was considering this kit for such a long time. It is a shame that Baltimore clippers, probably the most beautiful tall ships, are so rarely represented by wooden ship kits. Unfortunatelly, comparing this particular kit with the blueprints reveals some problematic parts that differs from the original. Particularly aft section. Anyway, I am interested in deck fit, particularly the carvature, from what I have seen earlier. Good luck, if interested, can provide some materials on this ship, although probably you have got them already...

[Scallywag]

juhu,

 

I'm interested in any material you're willing to share...

[Basic]

Juhu:

 

I too would like to see this material  that you are referencing! It can never hurt to have more historical and background reference material!!

 

All:

 

What type of filler would you recommend? A wood filler I assume, but just checking to make sure.  Thanks!

Edited January 12, 2014 by Basic

[fnkershner]

I just got to the local Home Depot and get a tube of Elmer's putty. Some guys even use spackle. I like the putty since it comes in colors. I too have long been a fan of the early clippers. They were the fore runner to the America of cup fame. They also announced the coming of age of the American designers. I find that most of the info on the web is disappointing. I also suspect that the abundance of large straight timber in the colonies helped.

[Basic]

Ah perfect, I think I might even have a tube of wood filler in the garage.  I still have to finish my first planking though; with classes starting up again, the work has started to slow down

[fnkershner]

Don't be afraid to use it liberally. If you use too much all you have to do is sand it off. The goal of the first layer of planking on a double planked hull. is to just provide a smooth accurate surface for the 2nd layer. On my first plank on bulkhead model. I used so much you couldn't find any wood.  Made lots of dust during the sanding. And it that case I wasn't doing a 2nd layer. So I just painted it.

[Basic]

How well will the PVA glue adhere to the wood filler? I'm just worried that it won't create a strong bond, although I'm pretty sure you can glue it without any problems. 

[fnkershner]

I think you will find you have no problems. In addition to modeling I used to make a bit of furniture from time to time. For that kind of wood working there is only 2 glue choices. PVA and waterproof PVA. If the item will be outside you might use Epoxy. But PVA is the most common use. And if you need to fill cracks etc. Putty is the best solution for that. I think both are formulated to work together. I have never had any issues with adherence of a piece of wood to putty using PVA. 

 

Take a look at my current build log (click on the link in my signature). This is a Baltimore Clipper that is double planked. You will see that I used putty and I am not doing the 2nd layer of planking. I am using PVA almost exclusively.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Floyd Kershner

[juhu]

Okay, will check my resources when back at home and post my thoughts soon ...

[juhu]

Hi,

well, just some summary. Please, mind, I am just keen on history of tall ships and so I always try to find out as much historical background as possible. I was thinking of this kit for a long time, then decided otherway (with a pity!) for various reasons:

 

Lynx had rather short career, no chance she fought on any "Great Lake battle", as stated on many sellers web page. She was a trader, not a warrior taking prizes, unless the circumstances were extremely favourable. Presumably she made just one journey to France and back prior her capture. But thanks to this short career, she was taken and most importantly her lines were taken off by British and to these days it is then one of the best documented Baltimore clippers. And truly beautiful one. Mind, there was also another schooner Lynx built during Revolutionary war, but this is another story...

So, some points:

1. there is a sailing replica named Lynx (search web, sure will find it), but other than the name, there is little resemblance, the hull is totally differnet, althought the famous name is probably a good selling point Just to be aware, it hardly can be used as a reference for built of the historical Lynx http://www.privateerlynx.com/. Search also for "Mosquidobit" - under this name she was used by Britain and you may find some references.

 

2. There is a lot of details missing on the model, the most eye-catching are no ship boats I guess. As a reference, I would recommend old but still very helpful book by H.I Chapelle "The Baltimore Clipper - its origin and development" where one can find detailed drawings and description of this very ship.

Also, for a good looking model you can ask Smithsonian's, I guess they do have a plans for this boat and can provide you weith a copy? One vay or another, here is a a nice representation:

http://amhistory.si.edu/onthewater/collection/TR_323263.html

As you can see, boats are there, missing in the kit, the deck cabinets, ladders etc does not match the kit, gunport lids are missing, capstan was fitted by British and should not be visible on the deck when building american Lynx etc etc....

 

3. What I see as the most problematic part, it is the aft section, just hull around the rudder. It is hard to explain, I do have some copies of the original Lynx plan, just comparing them to the kit reveals the angle of the rudder is off and am afraid, the hull shape is than somewhat weird compared to the plans. May be you could compare it with your plans from the kit box? Please note, this is the original plan as taken in England, so already fitted for RN service with capstan etc.

 

 

 

Please, do not take this as a criticism, I am aware no kit is perfect, I am just too focused on accuracy of the kit, where it is possible to compare it with the real ship or its verified plans, prints etc. If any questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck

 

[Mr Ed]

Getting back into the hobby after a 10year shore leave. Have a PANART Lynx that I started and had partially planked before laying aside; maybe a little further along than yourself as of your last photos. My second layer is about 90% complete. Think I'll tag along to watch your progress. Might be a good subject for me to finish before tackling the PEACOCK as a scratch build.  Out of curiosity, my kit supplied dye(powder form) to color various pieces. Did yours or was an appropriate wood supplied???