Corsair by WBlakeny - FINISHED - 1:32 - SMALL - Bermuda boat - First scratch build

[WBlakeny]

...  Now it keeping the Admiral happy is just a bonus. Happy wife; happy life. 

 

Words of wisdom

[WBlakeny]

Time time to get serious again, and return to my little boat.

 

And thanks a lot Ray, cutting the rabbet like your method worked like a charm!

 

First i cutted al along the bearding and rabbet line with a sharp X-acto blade. While using the steel ruler as a safeguard for not damaging the keel.

 

 

At the stem, i used the french curves as a safeguard.

 

 

Then i used a small chisel to cut out the wood between the two lines.

 

 

And afterwards i used a small file to deepen the rabbet, very slowly.

 

 

I did this for the two sides, and i am quite pleased with the result.

 

 

Finally i have to remove the excess of wood at the stern, to do this i used my proxxon with a disc sander.

Slowly and very carefully i removed the wood between the bearding line and the rabbet.

 

[ziled68]

Chris,

The rabbet line came out great. I like the fact that you were able to use the french curves and straight edge as a safety measure against ruining your keel. "Bravo Maestro" to you sir.

Edited May 20, 2014 by ziled68

[Littlebob]

Looking good, I was waiting for an update, I may have to get that cd set.

[WBlakeny]

Hi roberto.

 

I never regretted having bought that CD set from seaways. It has a lot of information and the plans for three nice ships.

All in the format of PDF files.

 

The only thing i regretted is that the plans are not directly on the CD but are also in a .PDF file. 

(Perhaps that's changed by now, since i got that CD set, a long time ago)

 

To print them, there's no problem. But if you want to use them digitally in a photoshop or CAD program, you'll have to extract the pictures from the .PDF files.

 

Luckily there are tools for that

[Littlebob]

Thanks for the info, I just ordered the cd set, soon with some luck I will be able to start my first scratch build. I will still be checking your build for updates.

[*Hans*]

Doing a nice job Chris!

Edited May 23, 2014 by *Hans*

[WBlakeny]

Next thing I wanted to do is give a coating of oil on the keel. 

For that i first had to remove a bit of glue excesses. I used a scraper for that, which dealt with it rather quickly.

 

 

Then after giving a light sanding i gave the keel a coating of oil. (Based on tung oil)

 

 

After it dried i gave it another coating.

 

 

I like the color of the cherry wood with that oil. 

[dgbot]

I just went through your log. First time I have seen the corsair, you are doing a fine job. Question. Why not use India Ink instead of something else?

David B

[WBlakeny]

Hi David

 

When i tried mixing the India ink with the white wood glue, there was some strange chemical reaction. The glue was hardening, and almost impossible to properly apply to the test pieces to be glued.  Also in wiping of the excesses, a black stain was left behind, as if a dirty piece of wood. 

 

I really didn't like the result, it was rather messy.

 

I didn't try the method like Ed did on his Naiad yet. He used an artist pigment.

Edited June 12, 2014 by WBlakeny

[WBlakeny]

Before finally installing the bulkheads, bulkhead number 6 and bulkhead F needed to be planked. They'll form the cabin walls.

 

I took a piece of maple and passed it through the planer to obtain a nice piece of wood with a flush surface.

 

 

Afterwards i cut off the planks after testing it on a piece of scrap pine wood.

 

 

Afterwards i passed the planks again through the planer to get a smooth surface. First plank i passed got cut into pieces, i learned that you have to pass it through in multiple times and always "very" little. 

 

With the planks ready i could start planking the bulkheads. I used a black marker to simulate the caulking.

 

 

I marked the middle of the bulkhead, and left the two middle planks open. I needed to leave a gap for fitting the bulkhead on the keel.

 

 

I used a drum sander on the drill press, to sand the contours of the bulkhead to remove the planking ends.

 

 

Before glueing them, i dry fitted the middle planks and used a scraper for a nice even finish of the planking. Afterwards i gave it a coating of oil finish.

[ziled68]

Hello Chris,

I was starting to get worried you did not want to finish your build. I must admit that you have a few techniques I may use in the future. Your Corsair is starting to come along very nicely. I can't wait to see more progress on your build.

[WBlakeny]

Hi Ray

 

No worries, i really like my little Corsair, but I'm dividing my time between her and my President.  I'm in the stage of rigging her but unfortunately, i don't like rigging too much, i prefer building. 

 

I didn't start a build log for the President since i was already this far in her building process, but perhaps i should start one, don't know.

 

Some pictures of her where i'm at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ziled68]

Hey Chris,

I am glad that you did not give up on your Corsair. As for your President, I believe that you should start a log anyway and help people that have come to that same point and need other people's ideas to help them along. It's just a thought. Anyway, enjoy both builds and Happy Father's Day.

[WBlakeny]

Next, the bulkheads will be glued to the (false)keel.

 

First checking that the waterlines of the bulkhead correspond with those on the false keel. Then checking symmetry between starboard and larboard.

 

 

Then as an aid, i use a corner profile in aluminium. I have different sizes and cut them in small pieces. Those are an enormous aid in aligning the bulkheads on the false keel. I saw their use in someone else's log on this forum, unfortunately i don't remember who it was, so don't know to whom the credit is due. 

 

I align them on the false keel, with the cut to fit in the bulkhead.

 

 

Slowly, with time enough to dry the bulkheads, i progress through all the bulkheads, to glue them to the false keel.

 

[dgbot]

You can never have enough clamps.

David B

[WBlakeny]

True enough, i love those little clamps. They've come in handy many times.

[WBlakeny]

Summer is gone, and all the summer chores done! Time to get back to my little corsair.

 

I've added some wooden blocks between the bulkheads for strength.

 

 

With the aid of a wooden strip i checked the bulkheads. 

There were some gaps i've needed to correct.

 

I used a left over strip of wood from an old kit and glued it to the bulkheads.

Afterwards i sanded it flush to the bulkheads. Gaps are all gone now.

 

[WBlakeny]

Time to prepare the wales and the planks.

 

Cutting the wales from a piece of Ebony.

 

 

And passing them through the thickness planer to get a smooth surface.

 

 

Setting up the width for the planks. 

 

 

And cutting them from Cherry of 1mm thick.

 

 

Planking the transom and the counter

 

 

After sanding.

 

[Omega1234]

Hi there!  I've just come across your log.  Your cutter looks great so far.  I'm particularly envious of the tools at your disposal, especially your thicknesser/planer.  No doubt, that'll definitely be useful

 

I'm looking forward to following along.

 

All the best and happy modelling!

[WBlakeny]

That thicknesser sure is a great tool but it is makes a lot of noise.

I always have the plan when i'll be using it, with my two little sons in the house that need to go to bed early 

[WBlakeny]

I want to add a filler block at the bow.

I first took some templates.

 

 

I then copied on the templates on a piece of MDF.

 

 

With the use of a dremel i sanded it to the right shape. (after checking it about a 1000 times  )

 

[WBlakeny]

I've made a serious mistake!!

 

When checking with a wooden plank, my plank goes over the counter instead of against.

 

 

After checking it with the plans, i noticed i have the angle of the counter all wrong.

I thought i had to follow the line according the plywood. 

Which now obviously isn't the case.

[Omega1234]

Hi Chris.  It's easy to make a mistake like that.  The question is whether you will rectify it, or leave it as it is.  It'd certainly make it unique, if you left it as it is.

[ccoyle]

If it was me, I'd go ahead and fix it, since it is a relatively small amount of wood to replace and, fortunately, easily accessible.  Annoying, yes, since you probably want to get on with things, but it boils down to whether or not you will always have some measure of regret about not fixing it if you choose to leave it as-is.

 

Regards,

[kees de mol]

You work very detailed allready in this stage i can see it will be a beautifull model

[WBlakeny]

I'm afraid that if i don't correct the counter, i'll always will look at the model for the place where i went wrong.

 

And since there's not a lot of work, I'll be rebuilding the stern.

 

I put the saw into my counter and transom. 

 

I removed the excess of wood still glued on.

 

I decided to remodel the stern with the use of MDF.

 

 

I used the dremel to shape the stern according to plan. 

Checking with paper templates.

 

 

Then i glued a new transon out of ply.

 

 

And sanded flush.

 

 

Afterwards replanked the whole stern.

 

[Omega1234]

Hi there. Despite what I may have said in my earlier email, if It was my model, I would've redone it too. Afterall, you're correct... There's nothing like being able to say that you've done it right.

[WBlakeny]

There's nothing like being able to say that you've done it right.

 

Amen to that. 

[WBlakeny]

Time to put on the wales. I first glued the wale on one side.

 

 

 

I then copied the location of the wales with paper templates from the keel to the other side. 

And rechecked with an adjustable waterline marker between both sides.

 

Afterwards pins were pushed on the spots just beneath where the wale should come.

 

 

And installed the wale above those pins, using them as a guideline.  I made sure with the help of modified wooden clothing pegs (don't let the admiral know) that the wale is pushing against the pins.