HMS Bounty Jolly Boat by Peter S - Artesania Latina - 1:25 First Boat Build

[Peter S]

As the title says, this is my first boat build. I ordered the kit and received it just before Christmas. This is the latest kit, so should not have some if the issues of the older kit that have been well documented. Have been reading and researching. Really lucked out with this kit as there are a quite a few build logs. Has proven to be very valuable and interesting reading and viewing.

So far have put the frame together and have just installed the first plank. 

Definitely need to get a PC with a big screen into the hobby room! Am not that great at taking photos but want to document the process as I go.

One question I have is about 'fairing". How do you know if you have sanded the frame enough? Have not really found anything that shows what the  fairing is trying to achieve. Be good to see a before and after comparison.

I spent a lot of time researching how to plank, and found some great articles and videos which helped enormously. Initially wasn't sure  if I needed to to get a plank bender but decided to at least start with soaking in hot water and then put it in place and clamp it down. This worked really well though I did take a week to get this first plank to the right shape!

I also decided to ignore the instructions in the kit for planking  as they use filler pieces and following the advice of many am attempting to plank according to the experts.

What I did discover with this first plank is how difficult it is to fix the plank at the bow. Very little area to bond the plank to the frame. I also found that I had to sand  the first two frames at the bow to get the plank to sit nicely against the keel. None of the logs I looked at seemed to mention this so I just hope that it was the right thing to do. I have also decided to plank all of the starboard side first. This way any mistakes can be hidden if I display the port side only. That is assuming I don't make to many mistakes on the port side!

[JacquesCousteau]

Nice job on the frame!

 

You asked about fairing. Looking at the edges of the frames, I think you need to fair substantially more, especially near the bow and stern. Fairing does two things: first, it allows the planking to take a smooth curve without any lumps or low poinrs, and second, it angles the edge of the frame to match the shape of the planking there, so that the plank isn't just barely glued to a corner but can be properly glued with more surface area. Generally when fairing, you'll leave very little of the laser char on the edge of the frames (although you usually want to leave a little, as otherwise you may deviate from the frame shape). The best way to see if you've faired properly is with a batten--a long, thin, flexible strip of wood. Place the batten along the frames and check if it contacts all the frames, if any are too high and need to be sanded more, and if any are too low and need to be built up. Then repeat at different distances from the keel, covering the whole hull. I think that fairing more at the bow would give you more surface area to affix your plank, too.

 

Also, you mentioned that you're planning on planking first one side, then the other. I'd recommend instead placing a plank on each side in turn. Otherwise, if it's not balanced, the pressure of the planking can warp the underlying structure and twist the hull, which cannot be fixed later.

 

You're off to a good start, and this site has lots of resources and information, some a bit buried in other build logs. Looking forward to following along with your build!

[iMustBeCrazy]

2 hours ago, Peter S said:

Have not really found anything that shows what the  fairing is trying to achieve.

G'day Peter,

 

I found this description on another site,

 

The goal of hull fairing is to bevel the edges of the bulkheads so that the hull planks lay flat.  If we didn’t do this, the planks would only hit the corners of the bulkheads.

 

The problem is it only tells a part of the story. The aim of fairing is to have a finished hull with nice flowing lines, without lumps bumps hollows or kinks. 

Simply bevelling the frames without considering this only allows a greater gluing area, which although important, is only part of the story as I said.

 

Your plank (or batten) should sit naturally against the intermediate frames if held down a few frames apart.

 

2 hours ago, Peter S said:

I also found that I had to sand  the first two frames at the bow to get the plank to sit nicely against the keel.

Looking at your second pic you would probably have needed to sand the areas indicated below. But only enough to allow the plank to fit.

 

 

[Peter S]

Thanks Craig and "Jacques". This helps. I didn't quite realise the need to bevel the frame but I think I can see now what the fairing is trying to achieve. Back to the sand paper again! That is definitely a good point about balancing the planking to stop any warping. Hadn't thought of that.

 

Will take these suggestions and see how well I can implement them. Be a few weeks now as I won't be near the model for a couple of weeks. Sigh!