Glad Tidings Pinky Schooner by timo4352 - Model Shipways - scale 1:24

[timo4352]

Welcome to the beginning of my Pinky Schooner build log. I am just starting to cut out some parts and clean up the laser char on them. I have added a couple pics of the kit - seems like a good way to start things out. I'll probably be a little slow getting things going here as I'm still working on the MBLS. What I'm doing here now is just pretty much keeping me busy while the stain an varnish dries on the spars for the smack. I will say so far the laser cut parts are pretty nice - easy to pop out from the cards. the wood looks to be of good quality, I don't see anything warped or anything bad like that yet. ME has a March madness sale now and this kit is only $70. I think that's a pretty darn fair price for what I've got in this kit here. The plans are quite impressive to me. Much more detailed - more like you are building a real ship - than the other plans that I'm building the smack from now.

This is gonna be a fun boat to build!

Well?... Let's get on with it!

 

[aliluke]

I'm looking forward to this log. The Pinky is on my wish list but is far to expensive to post from the USA to New Zealand, that is - more to post than to purchase .

 

Cheers

Alistair

[alde]

I will be watching this one with great interest. I love the lines of this boat.

[timo4352]

Well, I got all the bulkheads beveled today. There are a total of 38 half bulkheads in this kit. Took me about 4 hours between yesterday and today to get this far. Picking the bevels off the plans and marking the bulkheads seemed pretty foolproof. I found shaving the bevels with a chisel to be the best way to get the job done. I left the line a little wide so I would lessen my chance of cutting one (or more) bulkheads too small. I guess I'll see soon enough if they came out right. No pics today - not much to show but a pile of parts.

Tim 

[alde]

Heck, we will take pictures of sawdust.

[timo4352]

Well, last evening I got the keels (halves) glued up and today I'm working on the rabbets. I think I've got the one half pretty much done, now onto the second. It's tedious work - I don't want to screw up. I'd like to get through this thing without having to get any replacement parts from ME. 

I'm using a combination of cutting, chiseling, and scraping to get the job done. So far - so good. Knock on wood is not a problem here - 

 ---  I know --- pix or it didn't happen --- I'll get some up soon...

Tim

[timo4352]

Wow! the second rabbet went much faster than the first. I think I'm ready to attach some bulkheads. But, still, I keep trying to tell myself - don't rush...

Some pics - if you see any problem areas - please let me know. 

[khale]

OK gang.  I get the rabbet on the bottom of the keel pieces I need to glue onto the piece the bulkheads fit into.  What I don't get is why that piece gets rabbeted before the keel is glued on.  Looking at the pictures supplied above, it looks like the hull profile has been rabbeted before the keel was actually glued on.  I'm good with that, but need to know why it is done that way.  Wouldn't it make more sense to rabbet the keel after the keel pieces are glued on?  Thanks for the help, gang.  I appreciate the pictures.

[timo4352]

No, I cut the rabbet after the stem, keel, and sternpost were glued on. That way when you cut the rabbet you can fit a piece of planking stock in the rabbet to see that it fits flush with the outside face of the stem, keel and sternpost as you work on the rabbet. If you were to cut the rabbet before these pieces were glued on you would have no way of gauging how deep to cut.

Do the experts think that makes sense?

Tim

[timo4352]

A marathon of ship building at my place today - Whew!

I got that rabbet cut and installed all the bulkheads. Next the instructions call for bracing struts to be installed in between the bulkheads - to stiffen things up.

I think I'll chill a bit before I start that part. 

I've got to think about some type of planking vise - purchased or home made. I like the home made idea - any ideas to share on one of those?

Couple more pics for you all.

[timo4352]

So - I lied.

I couldn't keep my hands off it so added all the struts in. That's good 'cause then I'll be ready to start fairing the next time. 

[alde]

Looking good. Once you got started you started zipping along. It looks like you did a nice clean job on the rabbit.

[hamilton]

You're off to a great start. I built this kit last year and it was a lot of fun - the large scale is great to work in and it's overall a very good quality kit. I'll follow your build with interest

hamilton

[timo4352]

Thanks hamilton. I've seen yours on the forum. Came out great. Not too many of these seem to have been built - or not posted here anyhow - just a small handful that I've found.

Today I started fairing the bulkheads. I wasn't too happy how it was going. The whole hull half wanted to move around a bit despite being pinned to the board.

I thought it best to assemble the halves - I'll fair it as one unit instead of two. Makes more sense to me. I've got to get some kind of vise figured out to hold it now...

I stuck the two halves together with a few clamps to align them. The ran a bead of glue around the edges. Added more clamps. And the drilled holes though one half to the other and shot glue in the holes. All according to the instructions. I may drill some more holes here and there and shoot glue in them also for added insurance.

Hope I did all that correctly 

[dgbot]

Looking good so far.  However I would fill in the spaces between your bulkheads.  This will help in prevent you planking from buckling and give you more surface to glue.  I have seen quite a few pinks built.  It is a nice lokking model.  However the hull can be a little tricky to plank because of the curves and the bow.

David B

[timo4352]

That sounds like a good idea. I'll have to shop around for some balsa blocks I guess. And now that I think of it, I think I might want to put some small nuts and bolts and washers in there, bolting the two halves together. It'll be cheap insurance against the glue failing between the two halves. Yeah - that's the ticket! 

Tim

[Senior ole salt]

I think I might want to put some small nuts and bolts and washers in there, bolting the two halves together. It'll be cheap insurance against the glue failing between the two halves. Yeah - that's the ticket!  

 

I recon ya goin off shore with that modelTim. I hear tell those nor'easters kin split a ship in two!

 

 

Looking good so far.

 

S.os

[timo4352]

Ready for the North Sea!

I put five little bolts in there. They look huge, but they are little 1/8" bolts... But that scales to 3" diameter bolts - so they are huge! 

Edited March 23, 2014 by timo4352

[timo4352]

I'm starting to develop a little knack for the fairing process. I found one bulkhead that I got glued in a hair too high. One out of 38 aint bad 

A little extra fairing should cure that. The instructions keep saying "don't rush into the planking" - so I'm trying to go slow and get this fairing done right!

Heck, if I can do a bang up job on the planking, I might even finish it bright! (wishful thinking newbie!) 

[timo4352]

Now that I have a vise to hold the hull, I've got to finish up this fairing and start trying my hand at some planking!

(take your time, Tim - don't rush...) 

[egkb]

Cracking looking wee boat you have there Tim, is she to be single planked ?

 

All The Best

 

Eamonn

[Azzoun]

Tim,

Noticing a recurring theme that I definitely can identify with in that it's hard not to push forward too quickly.  I'm doing my best to take my time with the Sharpie but it's really hard sometimes as it comes to life right in front of you.  Good luck on this, looks like an interesting build.  I've never seen a wooden ship model where the hull was built in halves like this.

 

Joshua

Edited March 29, 2014 by Azzoun

[hamilton]

The half-hull construction design is due to the scale of the model (1:25) - the instructions explain that the scale thickness of the centre keel was too thick for the laser cutter (1/4) so they halved it at 1/8. I was very nervous about this construction method (made the alignment a very tricky business times 2!) but it actually came off ok.

hamilton

[timo4352]

Cracking looking wee boat you have there Tim, is she to be single planked ?

 

All The Best

 

Eamonn

Thanks Eamonn.  I too love the shape of this hull. The bulwarks really make it.

Yes, she will be single planked.

[timo4352]

Wanted to add here how much I like this vise. I'm sure having this third hand will make a huge difference in the ease of assembly and final outcome of this model...  and the next...

I made up some extended jaws to take the place of the metal ones.

Now let's get this fairing done and start planking. 

[alde]

Looking good so far. I agree she does have great lines and will make a fine model. I hope to start mine in a couple of months. Still a lot to do on the launch.

[timo4352]

So now a question does arise on my build... I am getting ready to do the deck beams and carlings. The plan sheet says to fit many seperate carlings in the spaces between the bulkheads. There will be a lot of small cuts and fitting to do it this way. It seems to me that a better way would be for me to cut notches in the bulkheads and fit the carling as one continuous piece. I know if I was building the thing full size, that is what I would want to do.

Any thoughts or comments from past Pinky builders? Or maybe you did the same thing on a different model you've built?

Or maybe I shouldn't do this - this way at all?  

I am leaning towards it - it seems to simplify the job, and once glued in I think it will be stronger this way as well.

Tim

Edited March 29, 2014 by timo4352

[timo4352]

Sorry guys, I didn't even wait for a response - I just went and did it!   I used the dremel tool with the cut off wheel and cut the notches in the bulkheads. It worked great. Cleaned the slots up with a square needle file and glued in the front carlings in one piece each. I had to clean up the table for dinner so I'll get back to the others later.  I need a real modeling bench - we just don't have the extra room in the house...

Edited March 29, 2014 by timo4352

[timo4352]

Hold on there cowboy! You aint ready fer plankin" yet! 

Read the instructions again first Tim!

So I had a few more things to complete before any planking starts. Now the carlings and deck beams are done. There is a couple of deck support blocks that needed to go in there. Two blocks were added to the sides of the center keel to create the step for the main mast - this is very important - you cannot get to this after the deck is planked!  I also tapered the stem and sternpost now so I don't screw up the planking by trying to do it later. 

Now I gotta go read those instructions again, before I do anything rash.

[alde]

It looks like a nice clean job so far. Taking your time at this stage will really pay off when you start planking.