Rattlesnake by JPett - Model Shipways - Scale 1/64th - Kit #MS2028

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

SRC: With all the carbon we are dumping the ice is beating me by miles 

 

Dragzz: No, The Ratt has always been my priority. The Vic is my mistress 

 

Russ; Thx again, I am hoping that I will be able to do something about the windows I cut out. The more I work on them the more I think I need to work on something else. My skills are just not up to it yet. I am getting there though

 

Micheal: Yes, activity is a good thing. I often wonder if sometimes too much is not the best thing for the grey stuff. 

 

Scott: Thank you, I would love to have that blue on my build but I just can't make it work like you did 

 

Popeye: I am sure the dinosaurs saw that space rock as just a little hiccup too. "LOL"  All kidding aside it really is just a big learning experience for me; which I really enjoy. Having a finished ship on my shelf does sound nice though. Maybe one day. 

 

Martin: Speaking of finished ship on his shelf. I am jealous. And now i find out you won the prize ship. Even more so. Good luck with that build. It really looks like a great kit. 

 

Back to the build 

 

HAPPY DAYS   :) :)

 

Well it really was an interesting journey doing these gunports. Full of happiness and despair.  Like an endless roller-coaster that has finally come to rest they have now been complete.  The starboard side  actually came out better and I did touch up the port although it does not look as good, it does looks good enough. At some point I really need to move forward and i think that time passed around Christmas of last year. This one really was a whopper 

 

As for anyone following this build I am posting what I learned in hopes it will save others from my folly. 

 

First and I believe this was already mentioned but it is important. The ports do not need to be exactly right when framed (just close and not larger then required); you can give yourself some room by using slightly wider wood then suggested in the plans. Once installed you can view them all together and then make adjustments either before or after planking. After being the harder of the two. The key for me was looking at them all as one facet of the ship. Fixating on one port only led me down the wrong path. 

 

There is a lot of discussion regarding the orientation of gunports. Where as there is, I am sure cases where the ports are not  square to the bulkheads I have found through considerable research they are not the majority. While some may look like this on the plans in most cases it is because the plans are 2D and we live in 3D. 

 

Yes it is not easy to get them to look right,  much easier to just tilt them a bit and this is your choice as you are the captain of your ship. Some are titled on my port side and the first one on the starboard too. Not because they should be but because that was the best i could do. I am however very happy with what I have achieved and think any further action will only lead to major repairs. 

 

When adjusting your ports I found it best to do them in groups never finishing one before all of them are at least 85% done. It is more important to get the orientation right first and then slowly expand them using a jig. I used one of the white metal lids included with the kit. To get them aligned I put my kit in the jig. Once in the magical jig i was able to mark my hull with reference lines which made cutting out the ports much easier. I did not just mark the ports but made lines to guide me while doing them. With the hull planked a mistake here would be hard to repair. My last window is actually slightly larger. That is where I learned to do them in groups and not one at a time.  I also learned not to do them in order but to skip around. Adjusting one between two that are right is much easier. 

 

In a nut shell: I found it was easier to get the ports correct in a smaller version and then scale them up using a jig. The key being to start small get the look you are happy with first. 

 

Next stop is deck planking. In usual JPett fashion we will be expanding this into a project. i put in some basswood so that I could cut into it to terminate the planking. I will be using paper for caulking. I am not sure if I will be trying any of those fancy planks on the gun deck. I might on the upper decks. 

 

 

First pic shows the Ratt in the jig 

 

Second shows reference lines, port jig and the order i used to do the ports 

 

Third show that in celebration we have cleaned the shipyard. 

 

Thanks for stopping by and comments as always are welcome 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Mr Vault-Tec is a good looking guy! 

[JSGerson]

I am curious as to how you added the namesake to the stern. It looks like you used my method or a modification of it.

1. Make a plaque
2. Paint it
3. Apply a homemade decal (in my case) or rub on letters (transfers)
4. Seal the plaque
5. Place the plaque on the model

[mtaylor]

Hi JP...

Looks good, sir, but I do have a comment and I'm not happy to make it.  

 

Are you putting the metal lids on?  If so, you'll need a lip (porting lining) for the lid to rest against.     If not... don't sweat it.  If you're going to scratch the lids, then leave the lip on the lid and no one will be the wiser. 

[dragzz]

hello jpett looking better all the time like u tell me all the time take your time  keep up the great work

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Beef Wellington: He came to the shipyard after losing a fight with a 4 year old. His head was reattached and he has been there ever since. I have the lunchbox too.  I am a big fan.

 

JSGerson: I used dry transfers. I like the gold leaf and the raised letters. It was really easy to do.

 

Mark: Why, why, why. You know I always follow the plans to a "T"

 

Dragzz: just don't take as much time as I do.

 

Back to the build

 

I had started experimenting with the deck while I was doing the gunwales but after lying a few rows of planking I was not happy. I ran into the same problem on my other build. Skipping over the openings for the gratings and keeping a nice straight run for that first row of planks was not something I can currently do with my skill set. So once again the shipyard grinded into that other less productive gear and I ripped up my work. This time using a full length plank to get a good line for the others to follow.

 

I also bought a drill bit to do the mast holes. It took way to long to file out the holes on my first attempt. It was slightly smaller and designed to drill without splintering the wood.  When it finally went through the harder maple and hit the basswood I almost drilled a new feature in my hull. Use caution and a very slow speed if you try this.

 

The plans call for the center to be split. I used a center plank. On my first attempt the center was split and this led to a half plank to meet the gunwales. Hopefully, I just took care of that.

 

I am edge gluing 70lb black construction paper and each plank is it's own little project. As it should be. This is however a slow process. I am estimating it will take me 50 hours to complete the deck. We should all know that this means 100 with beer, movies, and postulating. I am however really happy with the results. The thicker caulk line looks much better then pencil, and contrasts the maple nicely: I replaced the kit wood and am doing a 3 plank pattern, where I did a 4 on the hull. Treenails are coming.

 

For anyone considering this route: I first prep the plank. Cutting it to size, cleaning it up and sanding in a slight chime to meet the previous plank. The plank is fit first and only after confirming all the steps needed for the plank to be properly positioned/installed is the paper added. I might be doing this backwards but I have the paper on the outside of the last plank. Either way with paper; redo's should be avoided at all cost. Replacing the paper or damaging it on an already installed plank is not an easy fix. I did manage a cheat by adding a pencil line where I damaged some paper.

 

I clamp and glue the plank to the paper with PVA and then use a downward chopping method to trim off the excess with my chisel blade.  Using a slicing action with the standard blade would sometimes tear the paper and ruin it. Like I said, this method is slow. You will need a good supply of blades or a blade sharpener which I use.  Then I fold and glue the paper to one end where it will meet the next plank in that row.  Next I edge sand the corners to get a nice clean plank.  

 

I have replaced the Beaminater (See my hull planking technique) with a piece of Styrene plastic which does not stick in any way to the paper. It is impossible not to get glue on the paper while installing the plank. I use a combination of sideways and downward pressure to plank. I will also wet the paper on the previously installed plank to soften any glue from that install. A hard spot on that paper can prevent the next plank from butting up. I use the Original Titebond which is not waterproof and easily softens "even after drying" with some water.

 

Up to now I have been using un-tapered planks but according to the plans (See M.) the next band of planks will need to taper to match the curve of the gunwale. This should be interesting and my next post

 

Thanks for stopping by

Edited October 5, 2014 by JPett

[mtaylor]

Sweet.  Nice and clean as always, JP.  I like the Beaminator idea.

[augie]

The maple/paper combo looks like it's going to be the ticket.  Be patient ..... almost everything takes me 50 hours!

[dragzz]

hello jpett the ship looking great 

[Martin W]

Nice work, JPett.  I'm glad to see you've resolved your nagging problem of the ports, and have moved on to the deck.  As an old Ratt man myself, I can say that this is the stage when the build starts taking on its nice appearance, so there's nothing wrong with just leaning back and admiring it.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[src]

Jp, always enjoy your creative solutions. The beaminator, something else to file away for future reference.

Sam

[popeye the sailor]

that is a sweet idea......clamping the planks in place as you go. I did something like this with thin mahogany.....something I would definitely do again I'll have to try paper....looks neat!

[JSGerson]

I've discovered another method for applying the "caulking" paper to the planks. Start with a sheet of wood the thickness of the required planks width and veneer a sheet of paper (your choice of color)  on top of it. Then slice planks to the width of the thickness of the desired plank with a Byrnes Saw (or similar). When the strips of wood are rotated 90 degrees, the paper/caulking will  now on the vertical edge. No more applying paper to individual pieces of wood; dozens of planks can be made at a time.

[scott larkins]

Looking good, can't wait to see the final product.

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

This being my 1000th post I would like to thank all of you here at MSW who make this site what it is. I would not be here without you. 

 

:) Thank you :)

 

 

Mark:  We both know; "As always" would be me redoing it at least three times. 

 

Augie: I was inspired by a pear tree of all things. Or what's left of one on someone's deck, thx

 

Dragzz; She is my first;

 

Martin: I really like your choice of words. 

 

Sam: Sadly the Beaminator was lost. RIP

 

Popeye. I am now using concentric pins to push Evergreen strip styrene (.100 x .250) against the planks; it works even better 

 

JSGerson: Byrne's saws for everyone "lol" 

 

Scott: For a quite while there; you were not alone 

 

 

Back to the build;

 

Ahhh! The joys of learning. I am hoping that if anything my kit shows that a cavalcade of errors can still look pretty good.  Criticisms aside I am very happy with my results here; warts and all.  I will apologize right off for the length of this post. Yea its a bit of a whopper "I know" but it is my 1K. I will make sure 2K is worst "lol"  That, hopefully will be a rigging post. 

 

For anyone wishing to do their deck in this matter I will share here what I learned. 

 

First; this takes a bit more time to do then just marking the planks. Although it is more work, My personal opinion is paper used to simulate caulk on the deck looks much better, making it worth the extra effort. It's not really much harder either: It is a few more steps. 

 

Each plank needs to be checked and fitted as you would with or without the paper. The convex curve of the deck will cause uneven seams if planks retained their 90 degree cuts. Uneven seams really stand out with paper caulking making "seam management" slightly more of a concern.  Planks were tested fitted twice. Once before the paper to get their shape and then again after the paper was glued on to confirm there would be no fit issues during the final installation. I used a length of styrene plastic and my concentric pins to apply side pressure to install planks. The Beaminator snapped early into the project. The styrene strip is the better way. Fitting the last plank which required paper on both sides was actually much easier then I anticipated (only a few redo's). 

 

All clamping had to be worked out and tested prior to the installation of any planks.  Once a plank goes in there is only a few seconds to position it. The paper tears or deforms as soon as the glue starts to get a hold on it. I used non waterproof PVA so redo's were not difficult; but removing the paper aftermath was a bit messy.  

 

Although it made the paper more prone to tearing or delaminating, I found that moistening the paper on the plank a minute or two before installation really helpful. I am not sure but think it may have softened the glue used to put the paper on (tighter seams were much easier) and it may have prevented the glue used during the installation from bonding to the paper right away. My though is that the dry paper was like a wick. Before I came up with this I was having problems with "bunch ups". A thin layer of paper would separate and then accordion back on itself if the plank was moved seconds after being placed. I only put glue on the wood surfaces too, never the paper itself. Either way, there were less plank installation problems and more seam consistency once this simple trick was employed. 

 

 I thought I did well with the line of the planks, I did rip out my first attempt for this reason: Butt joints on the other hand are still a problem for me. Hopefully once the deck is populated my errors here will not be as noticeable. Thankfully the deck is pretty busy. I think I will try marking the bulkhead centers on my next outing. I recall having this same problem during hull planking. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I still have the poop and forecastle to do. My filler planks are slightly asymmetrical near the bow too and I attribute this to my earlier hull shaping debacle. I knew this going in and why I installed the basswood edge filler.  

 

Keeping on with complaints; I am not 100% sure about my scarf joints. They were made by edge gluing planks. I found cutting off and using a section of the same plank the easiest way to maintain color/grain and hide this cheat. I did not have any wider stock. Martin: Use thin super glue next time, its waterproof and you can soak them afterwards. To me my scarf joints just seem big and out of scale compared to the rest of the deck. Thankfully they are placed where no one should see them. I might try "hooked scarp joints" on the fore deck.  Not sure if my skills are up to this task. Time will tell. 

 

To keep with full disclosure; I sanded a soft spot on my deck. Its not horrible but I can see I still have not yet learned to control my obsession with sanding.  I also still need to work on my wood selection. There's a knot where a treenail should be and some unattractive color in other pieces that I could have easily not used. I'm learning and the knot is now a treenail. 

 

On the bright side; I added a new type of treenail (0.020 brass rod), I got the brass rod idea after seeing NMBrook's work on his decks grates and Piperjoe's Skipjack.  I developed a simple trick to better align my treenails too; this really was a very productive project. I always used a pin to make a starter hole for my drill/pin vise. But now I only do a very small "prick" first using a ruler for the spacing. Then I come back, and if necessary, angle the pin to move or fudge the hole as needed to create the final larger starter hole. I used to try to do this correction with my pinvise when I drilled the hole but finding you are off your mark with the hole already drilled isn't very productive. The brass also let me use a smaller diameter treenail then I would have been able to achieve with wood. I actually used my hobby hammer to drive some of them home. I really do love treenails. 

 

In more ways then one, for me; this post is a milestone. Thanks everyone for stopping by, your help, comments, and your likes. 

You guys ROCK.  

 

PS: My favorite view is of the deck seams through the ports.  I will try to preserve this as I litter the deck.

 

[dgbot]

You are doing a great job to date.   Despite the do overs and errors which we all go through.  I admire your tenacity many would have chucked the kit and move on.  The Rattlesnake makes into a really nice build.  With quite a bit of character and history.

David B 

[src]

JP,

That is some REALLY precise decking! Very clean and consistent!

Sam

[augie]

Congrats on the 1000th.  May you have many, many more.

 

Really grand to see an update on Rattlesnake.

 

Love the paper caulking.  I'm curious about the brass rods.  They look terrific......but if you're going to apply a finish I wonder how they will look.  I'm hoping for the best.

 

Admittedlly, I'm pretty much an amateur at this but your scarph joints look nice to me.  Yes, it is easier if you have some wider stock.  

 

Terrific stuff, JP!

[mtaylor]

Sweet decking, JP.

[RevKB]

The deck looks fantastic! Congratz on 1000 im not sure that even I could post that much :-)

[Blue Ensign]

Neat work on the deck JP love the hooded planks, they add so much interest to the look of a deck.

 

B.E.

[cog]

JP (or master shipwright!),

 

A real sharp looking deck

[md1400cs]

JP, aka 1000 post guy  

 

Awesome work. planks are so nice. 

 

Copied and made a Word doc. of your superb in-service. My next one will benefit from your instructions.

 

PS: Where did you find such small brass rod Blix Art Supplies?

 

Again beautiful work

 

Cheers,

 

MIchael

[dragzz]

looking good so far jpett

[Martin W]

Hi JPett -- Great going on the big One-triple-oh!  Too bad we all lost our ranks (dunno why) just when you were hitting your millenial.

 

Thanks for the tip on the glue (again) -- I'm going to give it a go.

 

More importantly, your planking looks really nice.  The treenails are neatly aligned, and those hooded planks add a great touch.  There is plenty to admire in your build!

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Kenneth Powell]

Just to repeat the obvious - GREAT looking deck.

 

Kenneth

[Trussben]

Hey JP,

 

Those hooked scarphs look really good, well done.

 

Ben

[scott larkins]

So many have said it but I'll jump on the band wagon.  Looks great.

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

First and foremost "THANK YOU ALL" for your comments and support. I am overwhelmed 

 

And 

 

Happy Holidays. May these times bring to each of you the joy and happiness that makes life so special 

 

 

Dbot: This build has drifted towards the dark side more then once. 

 

Sam: Thx, It actually was not hard. Just slow. Even for me. 

 

Augie: And I was so looking forward to being a Rear Admiral. "lol". The deck already has a coat of wipe on poly in the pics 

 

Mark:  Always a pleasure to have you aboard, thx for the comment. I see your gal has a little yellow-heart tattoo on her jeans "Sweet"   

 

Kenny: It has been a great journey so far. I wish you the same. Good luck with your Ratt too 

 

Blue: Thx for stopping by. Your log has been such an inspiration.

 

Carl: The only master in this shipyard is the one who puts the worm on the hook, Thx for the compliment though 

 

MIcheal: I got them at my local hobby store. There in the back by the wood, in the rack next to the plastic. Yea over there. It's sold under the K&S brand. It you can't find them PM me. I will send you a link. 

 

Dragzz: Sooo very far.  I think we are on our forth anniversary. 

 

Martin: I am going to go with karma. I did kind of go nuclear on a post one time. Never poke the bear, Really 

 

Kenneth: Always good to hear from you. Thx. I am hoping the Fore and Poop will look as good. It can be a bit of a trap sometimes.  

 

Ben: Thx,. That is an amazing build you have. I was happy that I could do them but I am not thrilled about how they look. I knew that they would get hidden going into it, It was a really good learning experience and that was all i was looking to get out of it, . 

 

Scott: Thx, your build deserves as many compliments. I will be using your anchor practicum on my build. 

 

 

 

The Shipyard is Closed for the upcoming holiday 

 

Enjoy everyone,  

 

 

        Yummy 

Edited November 27, 2014 by JPett

[fish]

Jpett,

 

I see that's it became an extended holiday...I hope all is well.

 

-fish