Bounty Launch by CaptainSteve - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:16 Scale - SMALL

[alde]

First let me say what an honor it is to have a minute vile of sawdust named after we your thread followers. There are no words to describe the gratitude I feel deep within my heart. Your progress is commendable but I do have to question your use of scented candle wax. What would old Bligh have though of that. Being the stout and ship shape sailor he was he would have used whale blubber or some other such masculine scent. Even the wax of the bee shows risk of life and limb to acquire it.  

 

I do like that Tasmanian Blackwood. Such an exotic wood may be out of place in what was essentially a work boat though. 

[hexnut]

Looks really good.  Do scented candles come in "Breadfruit?"

[CaptainSteve]

I do have to question your use of scented candle wax. What would old Bligh have though of that. Being the stout and ship shape sailor he was he would have used whale blubber or some other such masculine scent. Even the wax of the bee shows risk of life and limb to acquire it.  

 

 

Alde,

Permit me to ask you this:

Were you to spend some 6 weeks in a tiny life-boat with 18 Englishmen in the days before under-arm deodorants were invented, during tropical, late-winter/post-monsoonal weather, don't you think that you would have appreciated just ONE scented candle ??

 

Looks really good.  Do scented candles come in "Breadfruit?"

 

Hexie,

Yes they do ... but my local store was out of that variety.

 

Arr ...

Edited August 21, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[alde]

Alde,

Permit me to ask you this:

Were you to spend some 6 weeks in a tiny life-boat with 18 Englishmen in the days before under-arm deodorants were invented, don't you think that you would appreciate just ONE scented candle ??

 

 

 

Ah yes, the old 19 men in a small open boat in tropical heat for a long period of time effect. Point taken. The whale blubber would only add to the foul stench. It's obvious that you have this well thought out my friend.  

Edited March 8, 2014 by alde

[mtaylor]

Ah yes, the old 19 men in a small open boat in tropical heat for a long period of time effect. Point taken. The whale blubber would only add to the foul stench. It's obvious that you have this well thought out my friend.  

 

I would think that 1) the wind would keep the stench closer to the bow   and 2) the smell of whale blubber (if the Bounty was even carrying such an item) would be preferable.     :D  

[CaptainSteve]

Arrrrrrrrrrrrr …

This morning, CaptainSteve be NOT a happy pirate !!

 

Arising early to begin putting together my Building Jig, I have just discovered what a truly funny and hilarious man is Bob Crane (Model Shipways kit designer).

 

Look, I had read ahead in the Plans accompanying this kit. I consider this to be important particularly when building the hulls of a kit in order to grasp the concepts needed to ensure that I end up with a properly ship-shaped ship (or boat, in this case). And I had noticed the section Assembling the Building Jig (pg 8) which states “… that the sheer tabs from mold 9 through 15 are on the forward side of the molds and from 8 through 1 are on the aft sides of the molds.”

 

In hindsight, perhaps I should have thought this point thru a little better. But, on previous POB kits which I have done, I have always reversed the second half of the bulkheads. Primarily, this allowed me to take advantage of the natural fault of laser-cut pieces which will have a slight angle to them. And so, when reading the above point regarding Assembling, I simply took it to mean exactly this. Indeed, I had taken this into consideration when bevelling Moulds 9 thru 15 and had followed the Bevelling Marks accordingly.

 

But, No !! It would appear that Bob, with his stunning sense of humour (and, indeed, as per the relevant picture on Plan Sheet 2, which I admit I hadn’t considered) intended for all of the sheer tabs to be placed on the OTHER side of each of the mould formers. And this is in spite of placing the Alignment markings for sheer tab placement (AND the Bevelling marks) on the forward side of each of these pieces. In addition, Photo 3 on pg 7 shows clearly these tabs being placed on the side where these alignment/bevelling markings are located.

 

Chortle Chortle Guffaw. Oh, Bob, you crack me up !!!

 

I am currently wondering if I should tell Bob what I think of him, or, indeed, if I should inform him that, at one point in my life, I used to be a Martial Arts instructor (albeit many, many moons ago) …

Or, perhaps, I should save THAT little detail as a surprise for when I turn up at Model Shipways door-step to thank him personally for his little joke !!

 

Of course, none of this would have mattered had I left the bevelling until later on. But I just figured that it would be easier to do while the formers were lying flat. I guess that I am just going to have to proceed as I had intended and take particular care when it comes time to attach my Sheer Planks – and, perhaps, make some minor adjustments at that point.

 

ADDENDUM: I've just had a re-check through the logs of others here on MSW who are building/have built this kit. With the exception of Amfibius, nobody else fell into Bob's little trap. Fortunately, I note that it does not appear to have made any difference to Keith's build whatsoever !!

Edited March 9, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Keith_W]

Actually, I DID place the alignment tabs on the fore side of the frames in front, and the aft side of the frames at the rear. Given that the pieces are symmetrical front to back, all I did was flip it around so that I can see the markings

[alde]

A minor setback. I can't see where it would really make all that much difference anyway. Just pop those puppies off and stick em to the other side and all will be right in the world.

[CaptainSteve]

Hmmm ... both of you are correct. The difference in my case is that I had already done the bevelling. 

As it turns out, no damage will be done, as I have just finished removing ALL the sheer alignment tabs (using just water and a razor knife). I am just about to begin re-attaching these to the CORRECT sides.

 

ADDENDUM: Done and fixed !! Once the glue is dried, I'll reapply a little wax.

Edited March 9, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[alde]

When I was a draftsman my old boss used to tell me "don't draw more in one day than you can erase the next". Seems like it applies to model ship building.

[Guest Tim I.]

Your build looks like fun! I will enjoy watching it progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

[alde]

When you glue those tabs back on don't spare the glue. You will need them in the later stages of planking to secure rubber bands to under a good amount of stress. They sure come in handy.

[CaptainSteve]

Thanks for the heads-up, Alde ....

Although, I'd always expected they'd be removed when it comes time to plank. Won't they be in the way ??

[dgbot]

I sincerely doubt it.  I have found that these removable tabs come in handy when clamping or bracing.

David B

[CaptainSteve]

OK.

Thanks again, guys. Will definitely pay close attention when it's planking time.

[alde]

You need to use the tabs to align the sheer plank too. Keep them on until you get the planks on and then they get in the way of sanding and more sanding.

[CaptainSteve]

I'll certainly be leaving the sheer plank alignment tabs in place, and I understand what you guys mean by using these as anchor points.

What I meant was that the temporary tabs that have been added to assist with frame positioning will have to go once planking begins. I guess that's why they are called "temporary" tabs.

 

Quick update - with the addition of the transom last night, the Building Jig is now complete.

I'm happy with it ... even if I do say so meself.

 

(Not overly happy with MS' decision to stamp "TRANS" into this piece  ... so I sanded it back a bit to the point where the word is no longer engraved into the transom, but it is still visible. I guess that paint/stain will take care of this problem much later.)

 

On to the frames ....

Edited March 12, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[alde]

Oh no, not the frames. I broke so many I had to request a few extra from MS. I had enough to bend over the form but do not have enough for the framing that goes into the hull after it's poped out of the form. I only have 3 sticks left for that job. I soaked mine overnight in plain water. I will use some amonia on the tween frames and see if that works better.

 

They sure did burn TRANS deep enough. They really do need to put it next to the part.

[CaptainSteve]

Arrr ...

I had a go at bending the frames on tonight and broke the first three before giving up in disgust and turning to you guys.

I really didn't expect it was going to be this difficult !!!

 

To this point, I have cut the strips provided in half, giving 12inch lengths, which have been soaking in water for more than 24 hours. I noticed straightaway that these would be too long, as the ends would protrude beyond the tops (bottom, when inverted to build) of the building jig. Thus, the cherrywood has now been cut back to 9 inch lengths (the 3-inch leftovers should work as cant frames).

 

In despair, I went back over the other Bounty Launch build logs.

 

In particular, I note Amfibius' method of applying a steam-iron as he bent his frames quite successfully around his jig. I am using a curling iron which I have had great success with in the past. I also note that Keith appears to have done away with the temporary tabs on his build. Already, I notice that these tabs seem to be more of a hindrance than a help.

 

Currently, I am thinking of popping all my temporary tabs (which seemed like such a good idea at the time) and purchasing one of those tiny steam irons that travelling salesman-types carry with them on business trips.

 

Further I noticed that the instructions suggest cutting the cherrywood pieces to lengths of approx 4.5 inches. In effect, this means the wise one (Bob "The Builder" Crane) is saying that two separate pieces would be used for each frame, obviously joining up underneath the keel.
To me, this seems unnecessary, particularly given that mine were breaking not in the centre, but at the most severe turns where the underside becomes the sides of the boat (not sure of the correct terminology here, "bilge" perhaps.)

 

I think I need to sleep on this one !!!

Edited March 13, 2014 by CaptainSteve

[Keith_W]

Arr. I did not do away with them temporary tabs. Shiver me timbers that ye might have thunk that. Them planks will bend, if ye applyest thy steam iron and maketh sure thy grain is in the correct direction. If thou attemptest to bendeth thy planks in the wrong direction, thy planks shalt splinter - but in the opposite direction, they shalt bendeth nicely.

[alde]

I did mine in 4.5 inch lengths as suggested in the instructions. I think with this method the hull is less likely to spring to a wider dimension when removed from the mold. I don't know this for sure yet but it's my theory.  

 

Al D.

[usedtosail]

I did mine in one piece, but I don't remember how long. 4.5" seems about right. My success rate was about half at first. I soaked them for an hour or so then used a plank bender, which is a soldering iron with a larger tip. I had to heat them for quite a few minutes before they would even start to bend, but once hot enough they would go. Then they would stop bending, so I would resoak them for 30 minutes or so and heat them again. In a lot of cases they would go back to be straighter, but once heated again would bend back to where they were, then could be bent more. I took it very slow but still managed to break a lot.

[CaptainSteve]

The battle of Cherrywood Framing continues to be fought valiantly by our hero. CaptainSteve hath this very day removed from his Building Jig all of the temporary tabs, as these tended to hinder and block his main weapon, namely the Fearsome Curling Iron of Wood-Bendery.

 

 

Having studied extensively the battle-plans of the One known as Keith (formerly Amfibius - what happenedeth there ??), CaptainSteve feels that he now possesseth a better grasp of the ways of his foe, namely the Cherrywood Frames:
"Tis most important," didst Sir Keith sayeth unto him, "that thou understandeth the Ways of the Grain!!"

Indeedeth, armed with this highly potent knowledge of his foe's weakness, our hero has now conquered Six of the Twelve and can report that he is mostest happy with them.
"But thy boneyard doth containeth already too many !!" he declared mournfully.

 

Noteth that the foreground of the picture above doth contain four frames removed from a-fore. CaptainSteve continues to worketh with frames of 9inch, foregoing the claims of the One known as Bob The Builder that, verily, four and one-half of an inch shouldst be enough for any Man.

(Or, indeedeth, Woman. Hath thou not read-eth the Kama Sutra, Bob ??)

 

"These I have laid bare, for the standards of my fore-bears they didst not meet. I shall recycle them !!"

 

And with this statement, he didst leap back into the Fray.

Edited August 21, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[dgbot]

Thy prose leaves much to be desired.   My nephew's 5yr old daughter has a better grasp of ye Kings language.  You are doing a great job.  I am glad you found a way to make your frames.  How do you like working with cherry?

David B

[alde]

The cherry wood is yielding to your superior prowess. You can go forth with much pride in having vanquished your foe.

[CaptainSteve]

Thy prose leaves much to be desired.   My nephew's 5yr old daughter has a better grasp of ye Kings language.  You are doing a great job.  I am glad you found a way to make your frames.  How do you like working with cherry?

David B

 

Arrgeth !! Ye cannot pleaseth all of the people (and their nephew's 5yr old daughters) all of the time !!

 

As for the cherrywood, now that I'm paying more attention to the flow of the grain, it is becoming easier.

[CaptainSteve]

The cherry wood is yielding to your superior prowess. You can go forth with much pride in having vanquished your foe.

 

Getting there, Alde ... slowly.

Yours is looking very nice. Though I do hope you are wrong about the full-frame thing.

I bet you were most satisfied to be able to pop it off the Jig.

[Keith_W]

LOL Steve, an American thinks his nephew's 5 year old daughter's Kings English is better than yours! Feeling deflated yet?

 

I do have to warn you, that I realized from the start that I would not have enough cherry wood to finish - so I was very careful not to waste excess wood when cutting. The MS instructions claim that they supply enough cherry wood to account for breakages - baloney! There is barely enough to finish the framing even with MINIMAL breakages! Many of my cherry frames had knots in them which made it nearly impossible to bend, which meant that I had to keep them aside for other use. I thought I would have to order more wood but as it turns out, I had JUST enough to complete my framing.

 

I suggest you look at how much you have left and order more from MS if required. Also bear in mind that if you plan to bash the kit as I did and make yourself a bowsprit AND change the rigging, you may not have enough rope. So you might want to order that too.

[CaptainSteve]

Very true, Keith ... especially considering that we've had a Queen for the last 50+ years.

 

And thanks for the heads-up on the cherrywood and rope. Unfortunately a little late for me with the frame material (see below).

EDIT: But useful advice for the rope, considering I will most likely be adding a bow-sprit.

Edited August 21, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[CaptainSteve]

The battle of Cherrywood Framing was fought to a decisive end last eventide, with the Twelve finally being vanquished and bending to CaptainSteve's will.

 

 

Twas a hard-fought battle, and many occasions came whence our hero didst strongly consider a Viking funeral:

 

 

('Tis a large match-stick which ye shouldst note was used to affixeth the stem piece to the bow alignment blocks.)

 

As has been written by many of the heroes who have come a-fore, skeletons aplenty didst plague our brave adventurer. Indeed, so many of these undead beings haunt CaptainSteve's boneyard that he ponders whether or not enough material remains to battle the Cant and 'tween Frames which the Plans have prophesied.

 

 

"'Twouldst be a close thing," he was heard to say, forlornly.

 

As sucheth, our gallant hero is currently considering whether or not to form an alliance with strips of the Sapelli tree, salvaged from past battles.

"Two millimetres in width, they are. In depth, they be the same. Of dark reddish-brown they be in hue."

 

Were CaptainSteve to take this path, then 'twouldst be necessary to dye the fruit of the Cherrywood tree already affixed. Verily, he is most in favour of a Walnut dye, as the planking shalt be of Ye Olde Baltic.

 

"Wouldst make a nice contrast, methinks," he declared.

"What sayeth thee ??" he asked of the assembled horde.

Edited March 17, 2014 by CaptainSteve