Sakonnet Daysailer by Chief Mac - Midwest Products - Scale 1:24 - SMALL - my first wood ship build

[Chief Mac]

I saw another model Sakonnet being modeled on here after I picked up my kit and thought I would post a log as well. I picked this kit up for a very modest price of $10 at a swap meet and didn't even know if it was complete but the instruction were and I figured I could scratch build any missing parts. I'm new to ship modeling but have done quite a lot of planes and cars, mostly plastic. I figured I would tackle this with a small project before attempting a larger one. I've got my follow on projects already planned, a MS Rattlesnake vintage carved plug that was given to me for dirt cheap and I'd like to scratch build a Clipper or the 1797 Constellation. I know pretty ambitious but here is my start to this Alden Classic.

Started with the keel, it was already punched out with a few chunks from the rudder area, so I figured I might try and hinge it? I dry fit the frames and then glued them. I didn't have a fancy alignment jig, so I squared them up with clothes pins and a tiny metal machinist ruler I have.

I beveled the transom bulkhead at the top to accept the deck by carving it away with my hobby blade and then rough sanding.

I then attached the deck with rubber bands to clamp it and added the stringers, I had to cut one of the 1/16th stringers(Chines) out of balsa as the kit supplied piece was not long enough for both.

 

So far so good, next I'm going to prime all the inner areas with some clear coat before smoothing the frames for interior paint.

I took some time to also to trace out the frame pieces to build a follow on kit in the future as well. I really love this style of small sailboat. My real life Daysailer is a 1969 Ghost 13 by Janus, it's fiberglass but it gets us out on the water.

[rlb]

Looks like a good start, Chief!  Good to see your log.

 

Ron

[cdogg]

Great start Chief, I'm a big fan of the Midwest Kits. I am looking forward to watching this build.

[pete48]

Looks Like You are off to a great start,Keep it up

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[Chief Mac]

Thanks for the comments. I have been spending a bit of quality time with the family for the holidays but I did squeeze in a bit of shopping in to pick the paints up for the build. I chose a rustoleum marine white, and bought a quart of it on sale, also a high gloss pale yellow for the deck along with a high gloss black for some details. My wood finishes will be a mix of mahogany and some English oak tones, with a bright poly finish. I have also scored a new workbench that I have to organize for future builds, it's about 7 ft long and has a butcher block top.

I was just admiring Ron's work on his gaff rigged Alden. I am really interested in how his boom was attached to the mast as I really dislike the eyelets that come in the kit.

Pete, love your start on the Buzzards Bay 14. I'm following your progress on that beautiful Daysailer.

 

Cheers to all.

[rlb]

Hi Chief Mac,

 

The Alden kit included a small brass fitting as I've drawn here--

 

 

You might be able to make something that looks or works the same.  

 

Cheers,

Ron

[Chief Mac]

Thanks Ron for that little drawing. I was leaning towards making something very similar after looking around the web for detail pics.

 

I did a few hours of work yesterday and got the upper parts of the outer hull planked and did some priming of the inner areas I won't be able to reach later.

Here is the primed interior, I purposely didn't paint the stringers yet for glueing. Next up I sanded down the laser burned areas of the frames for gluing the first side plank on.

Then the balsa side was wetted with 50/50 vinegar and water for the forming and CA tacked in place with a few pins and bands/clamps.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Chief Mac

[Chief Mac]

Repeated the other side except I traced out a template of the completed plank more or less so that I could form it a bit better.

I didn't get any pictures of the second forming but it was exactly as before.

 

Here's how she sits for now awaiting some bevel sanding for the rest of the hull planking. I'll also do the finish painting on the underside of the cockpit areas next.

 

attachment=113969:image.jpg]

 

I may try and fit the bow a little better. I'm not quite happy with the alignment yet.

 

 

And I scored a whole box of coffee stirrers that have a great profile and grain for the cockpit benches. I'll have to see how they take to the gel stain I have planned.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Chief Mac