Rattlesnake by scott larkins - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64

[KennyH78]

 

Looking really good, keep it up.  I am going to follow your build, so that when I open up the box and start my RS kit, I will already have an idea of what needs to be done to make it right.

[Martin W]

Good to see your steady progress.  As for the stern decoration being level?  It actually looks to me as though it is, but that the piece itself is slightly off, so that no matter how level you got it, it would still look just a tiny bit unlevel.  But then that's only apparent because you pointed it out.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[scott larkins]

Thanks David and Martin.  Aren't we our own worst critic though?

 

But since this is a build log with the intent of teaching others the good, and bad points, of a build I had to mention it.  Just like I mentioned the 1/16 inch difference in height of my wale line board.  I thought, by my eyes, that is looked good.  Until I starting putting the planks up the side.  I feel lucky though that I got the two sides exactly one board off.  Couldn't have planned that flub up any better.  LOL

Edited March 3, 2014 by scott larkins

[scott larkins]

Trying my hand at some tiny work here.  Thought I'd get the wall caps on and work on that fancy elevation change scrolling work.  I guess it's not too bad.  Took several attempts to figure out just how to work this.  My drummel tool just couldn't do this.  I actually ended up using my exacto knife, a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass to "etch" out the swirl and I used a mechanical pencil to highlight what I did.  Unfortunetely I don't think you'll see this when I actually end up painting that rail  Oh well.  I'll know it's there.  Unless someone out there has a better idea.  Guess perhaps I'll finish etching the top rail back to the planked wall.

 

 

First unsatisfactory attempt.  Like so many people have said, what is nice about theses wood models is that you can cut out a piece and start again.  So I did.  Here was my fourth attempt at making this decorative piece.  The first three attempts produced that first pic.  The pic below was my latest and I think most satisfying.

 

I think the bottome of the rail cap flows better with this version. I used thicker wood this time.  Took this pic before I finished the sanding.  In case you noticed some fuzzy wood there.  I'm waiting for the glue to dry before I mess that whole thing up by sanding too early.  Must remember to take my time.

Edited March 9, 2014 by scott larkins

[Martin W]

Hi Scott -- Welcome to the Magnifying Glass Crowd! 

 

The regular sized burrs you buy at Lowes or someplace for the Dremel are always way too big to do that kind of detailing.  Your work with the knife achieved a laudable result.  You might track down Bill Short's guide to carving with Dremels, though, just because he offers some really good advice on technique and where to get hold of micro burrs.

 

Glad to see you're making terrific progress --

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[scott larkins]

Thanks Martin.  Is that something I can find here or should I hit the Amazone web site?

[Martin W]

Scott -- Follow this link, it should get you to a posting by Chuck Passaro on Bill Short's log of Sovereign of the Seas; and the posting has a link to Bill's own website. 

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/468-thank-you-bill-short-for-sponsoring-model-ship-world/?hl=%2Bbill+%2Bshort

 

If that doesn't work, you can always email Bill at Modelshipwright@sympatico.ca.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[scott larkins]

Thanks.

[scott larkins]

Okay ships build log.  Onto busting open my anxiety about planking.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  Here are picks of the gabbard strake and the next one up.  Thought I'd start at the bottom since there seemed to be the least amount of strake shaping as possible.  I've read that it doesn't really matter if you start at the top or bottom.  Why does the little voice in the back of my head say that I'm going to mess this up somewhere and have like only half a strakes worth of space left when I get to the wale line?  As you can see in the pic I'm also messing with cutting the strakes every 4 bulkheads long.  Not sure I'f I'll continue this.  I don't really like trying to fit the pieces together after I've glued them, especially in the bow area.  The middle I can cut and then glue at the same time but I'm finding the bow to by the most difficult area to work with at this time.  The angle and small point of the strake are making it difficult. I'm sure I'll find more issues later.

 

 

Thought I'd try doing a little inside sanding of the strakes where they come into the bow.  My idea was to better fit or get a smoother fit into the beard line to keel slot.  Seems to work for a dry fit.  I'll let you know how it comes out when I get the glue out.  Note I pointed out the sanded slight angle on the inside of the strake.

Edited March 16, 2014 by scott larkins

[scott larkins]

I finally found a planking tutorial that I can work with.  I found "Planking the hull - a tutorial"  by Keith Harris (Jack nastyface) and Wayne Tripp (trippwj).  I know there are two other tutorials out there but for some reason this one finally broke through to my sense of ...... or low level of...... well, you fill in the blank. LOL.  Anyways, the Rattlesnake plans show three groups of six planks and doesn't really show any actual "rules" for the width of those planks; this tutorial has me with four groups of sections (3, 3, 3, & 4) and it comes out to a total of 15 rows instead of 18.  Including the Wale and Garboard strakes.  I also got to keep those middle bulk head plank widths the original width.  The Rattlesnake plans have you resizing all of the strakes.  I'm not so sure all of the extra work was really worth it.  So anyways, here is what I have so far.  I had to remove one strake in order to get back on track.  But then, from my readings of the other logs here, who among us hasn't had to do some strake removal.

 

The tutorial uses black thread but I figured, hell, wouldn't any thread really work if you are using it to connect the lines as you lay them on the bulkheads?

 

Yep, removed the strake that I had for line number three. The Rattlesnake plans strake was going to mess up "Nastyfaces" plans.  The only thing I had to keep in mind, which was not explained well in the tutorial, was when you figure out your middle bulkhead number of strakes, you have to use that number for all of the bulk heads.  For my ship, that was 13 strakes not including the garboard and wale.  If your recalculated for each bulkhead you would end up with 11, 12 and 13 strakes.  Now how does one make strakes dissapear?

 

Looks like I was able to get things to line up.

Edited March 23, 2014 by scott larkins

[scott larkins]

Dear ship build log.

Making progress on the planking.  Tried the plank insert today.  Forgot what it's really called.  Think I did okay.  Slowly working on getting the first Rattlesnake planks in line with my new guide. Maybe one more plank and another insert.  Good thing I'm painting the hull. LOL

 

Also repainted the inside of the gunwales today.  I used a lighter red over the rust.  I like the color.

Edited March 26, 2014 by scott larkins

[scott larkins]

Okay ship log. All of your pictures are back up.

[Martin W]

That's a nice,  systematic job of planking.  It looks neat and orderly, just as it should.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[chompsalot]

It's looking good Scott. I'd like to see the wale position at the stern if you have a couple pictures.

[scott larkins]

Brian,

 

I'll see what I can do.  My wale board is slightly messed up.  I ended up having one side exactly one board higher than the other in the stern area.  One would not know this if I didn't say anything are actualy took the time to count the board.  I think I mentioned that a page or so back.  Since it ultimately did not mess things up, as I was able to cut boads to get myself back on track, it is now a non-issue. As many have pointed out, wood ships can be forgiving.

[scott larkins]

Dear ship log.  Well, about half way done with the planking.  This is a slow process and the stern under the transom is a bit of nasty work.

 

Here is how I am getting the planks to form to the stern.  Not sure if others have done it this way so I'm flying a little blind here.  Don't remember anyone saying or showing pics of their solution.  Maybe Eric?

 

Looks like the bow is measuring up well on both sides.  Go figure.  It's obvious that some sanding will need to be done.

 

Side looks a little better.  Let me tell the others following this log.  It is much advised to sand the top inside of the planks at a slight angle as the bulkhead starts to bend down.  You can get the lower plank to snug up close to the top one by doing this and thus reduce some of the sanding when the planking is all done.

Edited April 4, 2014 by scott larkins

[scott larkins]

What's happened to all of the other Rattlesnake people?  Other than Brian that is.  LOL

[chompsalot]

It looks like we're the last ones left. Maybe i should go back to my Latham build.

[KennyH78]

I'm sure more will pop up. Once I finish my Triton cross section and Fair American brig, I will start on my MS Rattlesnake kit.

[ZevEisenberg]

What's happened to all of the other Rattlesnake people?  Other than Brian that is.  LOL

 

I'm moving. Going to pack up my build table and move it to Boston. Excited to get back to my Ratt once the move is over! And I got my girlfriend a small plank-on-frame ship's boat kit for Christmas to see if she's interested in model boat building.

[scott larkins]

Zev!, you do still exist.  Good luck with the move.  Pack that ship well and keep it in your car, not the moving van.  Look forward to getting you back.

[MikeWz]

Still here too! Been following your log still but I've been pretty inactive until school finished up...4 more weeks!

Build has been going well for you though, keep it going!

[scott larkins]

Hay Mike.  Not as well as I hoped as my final planking post will state some time soon.  Had a few mistakes, or should I say, the planking hasn't followed the rules as well as I hoped.  Think I can recover though.  Time and injinuity will tell.

[scott larkins]

Finally finished with the planking.  Think it took about a month to do.  Not bad for my first real planking job but not a good as some of the ones I've seen on the site.  Oh well, hopefully painting will hide some of my errors.  Pics below.  Don't really have any good tips for the people following along.  As I've said, things went a little sideways in the planking process and I'm not sure why or where.  I could guess though.  Once I got everyting sanded thought it looks pretty good.

 

Nothing sanded yet.  Just happy to finally be done. Yeah, I had to do stealers, and the two different plank insertion methods listed in the instructions.  Was hoping to avoid that but nope.  Well, it was a good learning experience never the less.

 

Took me about 1 hour to sand each side.  Started out with 120 grit then moved onto 320 for that final smoothness

 

Yeah, the transform / stern was not fun to glue down.  Used my clamps alot with a small piece of wood to add some cushion between the wet soft wood and the clamp.  Big help with this whole planking thing was wetting the wood in boiled water.

 

Yeah, you can see some of the different insert I had to add and a few "beauty" marks.  LOL  Well, no denying she's my ship.

Edited April 21, 2014 by scott larkins

[russ]

Scott:

That looks pretty good, especially for a first time planking. Good work.

 

Russ

[dgbot]

Scott now that you have this hull under your belt when you tackle your next hull,  you will apply what you have learned.  Good job. 

David B

[scott larkins]

Thanks guys.  Next ship is the Niagara and the stern is different in some respects.

 

Here is my attempt to copy a molding idea for the outside of the ship.  I think it was sport who came up with this.  If not, will the real knife molding person please speak up so you can take full credit.

Edited April 22, 2014 by scott larkins

[chompsalot]

Congratulations on finishing the hull planking Scott.

[Martin W]

Hi Scott -- Your planking looks nice.  If you can look at your hull straight on from the bow and and enjoy the lines of the strakes, then you've met the standard.

 

Sorry I haven't been able to keep up for a while -- I had to get that new Microsoft operating system installed (10 days), and then uninstall two dozen or so spy ware programs that came with the new OS.  Ai yi yi what a tiresome process to go through just so I can read my email and visit MSW!!

 

Cheres,

 

Martin

[scott larkins]

Dear build log,

 

Molding has been cut and is waiting to be attached.  Now I'm in the process of finishing the other outside hull items, put the molding on and then paint.

 

Hey Martin,  Wow, that really stinks.  Good luck with that stuff dude.

 

Here is the side  captain's cabin window.  Looks like two dolphins over the wings of a bird that is swooping down.  Also got the decrative transom piece finished and attached.  It looks fat here but it really isn't. It sweeps in towards the hull as it goes down and under.

Edited April 24, 2014 by scott larkins