Syren US Brig by helm108 - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64

[helm108]

It begins.

 

This is my second ship build. My first was the Adventure pirate sloop by Amati. That one took me 3 years to finish. I move slow. That was maybe 3 years ago that I finished it. Thought I'd go with the Syren as my second because of its great full color instructions.

 

Here's how she looks at the end of Chapter 1.

 

I've been reading through a lot of logs on the Syren trying to figure out how to best handle my next steps, but I have a few n00b questions:

 

What's the best way to bevel the bulk heads? With a hobby knife or sanding?

When should I be beveling the bulk heads? Before or after I glue them onto the former?

What should I be using as filler blocks? 1"x 2" balsa wood?

 

Thanks for any help. I'm just trying to be careful on this one. My Adventure ended up looking bulgey at each bulkhead, and I want to make sure I avoid that with the Syren.

 

[Larry Van Es]

Before and after. If I remember correctly there is a laser burned line on each bulkhead that shows the approximate amount to bevel each bulkhead. I removed most of that with a knife and then after installing all the bulkheads, I sanded the rest while constantly checking across three bulkheads with a plank. Make sure you get all the bulkheads facing the right way. I used soft pine for the filler blocks. I do most everything with a digital calipers and made each of my filler blocks within a few thousandths of an inch of the ideal space between each bulkhead by sawing with a good table saw and then sanding to fit. I didn't have a table saw at the time so I asked a friend to saw them for me making twice as many of each size just in case. I had to buy a 6' piece of wood anyway. Each of the filler blocks was a press fit between the bulkheads. When all were in place, it was as if all of the bulkheads were glued in place. However if a couple of the filler blocks were tapped out, a bulkhead could be removed. This arrangement straightened out the warp in my former and assured each bulkhead was perpendicular to the former. I taught geometry at one time so I had faith in this method. At the time I hadn't discovered the idea of a building table to assure a straight keel and perpendicular bulkheads. See the problems that Shaz had with a warped former and bulkheads that were off. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4239-us-brig-syren-by-shaz-model-shipways/page-7

Other Syren build sites show the building table method. It's important that this is done right since everything that follows will depend on it.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Larry Van Es

[Charley54]

Hey, welcome to the Syren group. I second everything Larry said. I used a very similar method except I used balsa for my filler blocks. Seemed to work fine for me. Good luck with your build.I will add it to my follow list.

 

Charley

[augie]

Larry's advice should do it.  Like Charley, I used balsa blocks for the ease of getting them just the right size.  It's very solid once you're done.

[NWdiverTodd]

Welcome to the Syren club!  There are lots of us here working on that ship.  Hopefully we will help each other out :-)

 

-Todd

[helm108]

Finished Chapter 2. I ended up snapping off almost every bulwark frame. The instuctions weren't kidding when it said they were fragile. Other than that, the only problem I had was with a bulkhead getting stuck before I could get it all the way down into its slot. I glued on my filler blocks first to make sure that every bulkhead was square; I regretted that when that bulkhead got stuck. Had to saw into the filler to disconnect it from the bulkhead and finally pull out the bulkhead and set it back into place.

 

I just started Chapter 3, and something is up with the gun port templates (see images below). The only explanation I can come up with is that the template's scale was off when it was printed. The problem isn't with my bulkheads, I lined up the templates to the bulkhead slots and the template is still too small.

What should I do? Push on? Ask Model Shipways for new templates? Or did I do something wrong?

[Chuck]

Nope....its definitely wrong...I dont understand how they can print those wrong every time....

 

Download these and print them out.  Remember to make the page scaling "none" in adobe before you print it out.   That is what they keep doing wrong.   That is why it always prints too small.

 

Chuck

framingplan1.pdf

framingplan2.pdf

framingplan3.pdf

framingplan4.pdf

sternframingsyren.pdf

framingplan5.pdf

framingplan6.pdf

[helm108]

Thanks, Chuck!

[fnkershner]

Another Syren! This will be fun!