Mayflower by SawdustDave - Finished

[shoule]

 Should make painting the decorative work a little easier, this time around, but where are you going to find enough bamboo serving trays? You'll give Wallmart a heart attack.

[popeye the sailor]

that's almost as crazy, as when I did the decals for the Half Moon! I wish the decals were a bit darker {more visible to see}, but I still haven't gotten the update for the program. you did a great job though.....the redo looks even better! I've never tried it that way....... I guess the advantages to making decals, is I'm not squinting through a magnifier......but I am 'one eyed' looking at the computer screen :D

 

hope your not building that ship in your backyard........your liable to have a Bill Cosby moment

[SawdustDave]

Needing a little break from the brush, I had an urge to turn some wood.  So I knocked out this very basic little display base this morning.  Wood turning has always been one of my great loves.

 

[SawdustDave]

While I had the camera out, figured I might share a few little items I find helpful....

These new magnifiers were a father's day gift from my dear daughter, who works part time for a jewelry shop....

The flip-up magnifiers are 6X (combined with my 3X Walgreen specials = 9X)....I find them just right for about anything.

Best of all, I just flip the clip-on specs up when not needed.....don't have to keep changing glasses.

Edited August 22, 2014 by SawdustDave

[SawdustDave]

Reading the discussion about eXacto blades being expensive and not staying sharp....

The single edge razor blades are sharper and much cheaper.... right?

Except for the fact that they have no handle, and the blade tip needs to be tapered....right?

I found that a diamond Dremel blade will cut through a razor blade almost like cutting wood.  Your single edge razor blade can be about any size or shape you like.

All you need to do is create a handle for it.....

I use this little custom knife about 90% of the time now.

[NenadM]

Reading the discussion about eXacto blades being expensive and not staying sharp....

The single edge razor blades are sharper and much cheaper.... right?

Except for the fact that they have no handle, and the blade tip needs to be tapered....right?

I found that a diamond Dremel blade will cut through a razor blade almost like cutting wood.  Your single edge razor blade can be about any size or shape you like.

All you need to do is create a handle for it.....

I use this little custom knife about 90% of the time now.

 

All my knifes/blades are custom made from Chinese blades of different shape and curve, which I sharp personally using Dremel and so called "water sand paper", making different holders and handles, AND IT WORKS WELL. I did not feel any need for expensive branded knifes or scalpels. Am I wrong ?

[SawdustDave]

Nenad....the more I come to know you, the more I'm convinced we may have somehow been separated at birth....haven't figured out the 16 year difference in age yet.

 

Dave

[NenadM]

I didnt notice those 16 years

[SawdustDave]

Rolling on the floor laughing my young friend.

[popeye the sailor]

that's a pretty neat idea about the blades.......most razor blades are thinner than most x-actor blades. I use the same razor blades you've shown......although the double edged razor blades are even thinner than that. the big plus with the double edge, is that, cut in half.....you get two blades for the price of one!

[SawdustDave]

Been wondering about double edge blades Popeye....excellent point. Don't know the last time I purchased a pack of double edge Gillette blades, though I still have the stainless steel handle/holder I used in the military over 50 years ago. "Look sharp - feel sharp".

On my list for next trip to the drug store.

Dave

[SawdustDave]

Just for kicks, purchased a pack of double edge razor blades, cut one side down and stuck it on a handle....Conclusion is nope.....the blade is too thin, and it is actually too sharp....tends to move out of the cut line on second pass.

It does, however, make a pretty good scraper.

Scrap that idea....

 

All is not lost. I can use my old military shaving kit for old time sake. Only problem now is my bathroom mirror doesn't open up and then have the little slot inside the cabinet to dispose of used blades....anyone remember those?

 

Cheers

Edited August 23, 2014 by SawdustDave

[augie]

Ah.....memories!

[SawdustDave]

Panels mounted and trimmed out.

Hull painted to water line as suggested by all my mates.....8 coats of diluted acrylic.

The water line landed very nicely just below the gun port lids.  I really liked that.

As you can see, I've got another load of treenailing ahead of me.

Decided to paint all of her rails black....kinda liking the contrast (need some expert commentary on that issue)

 

Not going to do the forward panels for a while as I would like to spend some time on deck fixtures as a change of pace.

First, more treenailing.....lots of 'em. 

[pete48]

She Looks Awesome Dave, beautiful work . I like how you did the rails black , it does contrast well .

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[riverboat]

Excellent!! work Dave....... the bamboo turned out to be a good choice , I really like the way it looks , glad to hear you didn't have any problems working with it. The trim patterns came out real good as did the rest of the painting of the hull and rails. I think you might have started  a 

new outlook for planking material .    Walmart will love you for all the bamboo business you've thrown their way, who knows ,they might even offer you a part time job as a "greeter".   

Frank                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

[SawdustDave]

Thanks Pete and Frank...

 

Walmart "Greeter" ?.....I got fired from that job on my first day for telling a lady how nice her twins looked. She got all bent out of shape....

"Can't you see my two little girls is three years apart?! Stupid old man!"

So I said to her "Sorry lady, honest mistake. I just couldn't figure how someone as ugly as you managed to get laid TWICE."

 

Guess I'm not cut out to be a "Greeter" at WallyWorld huh?

[NenadM]

Your story remember me ...Almost all problems I ever had were made because sometime, my thong is faster than brain, or long too much. And sometimes just could not resist to say something or to answer when silence is supposed. There are consequences, but there is pleasure also. Sorry comes later. Or not

 

You make real beauty here, with inreresting and tricky color combination

Edited August 23, 2014 by Nenad M

[jburchfield1@wowway.com]

Dave, you should oughta be a stand up comic!!   roflmao  

[Piet]

Beautiful job Dave.  I really like the color combo and the fancy trim work.  Okay, happy tree-nailing. 

Show us a close-up pic of the trunneling.

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

Piet my friend, I'm also working on developing a sonar system in case we cross paths with one of those u-boats. You are the reason I gave up my "pirating ways".

[michael mott]

Dave

Outstanding job on the panels, and I also like the black handrails.

 

Michael

Edited August 24, 2014 by michael mott

[SawdustDave]

I didn't want to do any close up shots of the stern area until I first was able to finish the treenailing and then staining. 

 

 

Also added the lift rope and rings to the gun port lids.

 

 

Finally got around to wiping a thin coat of poly to her walnut bulwarks.  Brings out the rich grain very nicely.  Liking the contrasting mix of colors from deck planking to bulwarks to the rails.

Edited August 24, 2014 by SawdustDave

[Omega1234]

Hi Dave!  Love the photos; especially the second photo with the lift ropes.  For some reason, the stern windows look so real that I can imagine actually standing in your ship, looking out of the windows onto a foaming wake. It looks amazingly real and I guess that's the testament to a skilful modeller, when a photo can conjure up such thoughts.  Well done!

[pete48]

Nice work Dave, The Transom looks fantastic, how is the Sonar system coming alog ? I just figured that I would have to build a faster boat .

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[SawdustDave]

Pete...."faster boat"....you raise a good point mate.

So if I've got this great sonar system, but then I also have a very slow ship....So I get a little ping signal from Piet's killer torpedo launched in my direction....just in time to say "OH SH_T!"

Hmmmm

 

Me thinks we all need a better plan here.

Edited August 24, 2014 by SawdustDave

[Piet]

Hey Dave, that sonar'll be useless against the O19, she can outrun your ship by two times, submerged!  And don't forget the 5 inch deck gun mate.

 

Nice looking stern and those windows are awesome, any curtains?  Maybe a plant in front of each one, makes the skippers wife happy. 

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

Decided to just paint a big sign to hang on the side.... "CHILDREN ON BOARD"

Now who would fire a killer tube at a bunch of chillen.

 

Seriously....That is one awsome u-boat Piet.  You're a heck of a craftsman my friend.

Thanks for the visit, and for joining in on the fun chat..

Cheers

[SawdustDave]

Omega, I am glad you appreciate those stern windows. I had to rip those little suckers out three times to try to get the geometric alignment of the gratings fairly close.

Now I'm working on the four little windows that will go near the stern (2 on each side). They are really tiny with gratings.

Tried several techniques so far and haven't hit on anything I like yet.

Closed up shop and called it a day. Maybe something will come to me during the night.

Edited August 25, 2014 by SawdustDave

[SawdustDave]

Small windows solution.....best I could come up with this morning. So I'm going with it for now.

First I had trouble finding a clear plastic for the window glass that wouldn't completely fog up with small application of CA.

The material also needed to be thick enough for me to cut deeply into the surface without cutting completely through.

After trying several different clear plastic from around my shop....all too thin....I went to the kitchen and found this cheese cake platter cover. Turned out to be perfect.

 

Used card stock to make a template for the alignment and spacing of the wire mesh....

Cut out a template for shape and size (including frame width)....glued it onto the end of a stick so I could keep it from moving around as I traced around it ....especially onto the side of the ship.

Finally - Used a sharp blade to make deep cuts into the plastic for each of the wire mesh lines....

Then the cute part....to get the black wire mesh lines, I colored the entire surface completely with a wide tip Sharpie (washable) and immediately wiped the surface with a tissue, leaving the black ink in the deep cuts. Bingo!

 

For the frames, I used strips of bamboo that I had pulled through my draw plate.

These finished window units are sitting loosley in place....

 

Back to more treenailing this morning....

Edited August 26, 2014 by SawdustDave