radrick21 Posted July 4, 2014 Share #1 Posted July 4, 2014 (edited) Ahoy. Newbie here, just starting out in model ship building. I ordered my first kit the other day and wouldn't you know, it's been delayed by a hurricane' Hm. Taking advantage of the time delay to outfit my commandeered dining room table as a workstation. From what I see around the forums, there's plenty of good advice and excellent build log photos to guide me. I see you folks are a dedicated fleet of generous artisans. I'm starting this build log to harvest a good catch of tips and critiques. Well, if my kit and FedEx both survive Hurricane Arthur I'll be back. And if you're reading this, you probably built a skipjack or you're working on one. Let me know who you are so I can follow you & plunder all your advice - AAARGH! Thank you, Rick Edited July 5, 2014 by radrick21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted July 10, 2014 I received my kit Willie L. Bennett today. I opened the box and just stared at it. Wood. Bits of stuff. Big pages of drawings. Wow - what magic will turn that stuff into the splendid skipjack pictured on the box cover??? No worries. I recovered and I'm so happy to have this fun and fascinating challenge! Now let's see, it says to put the doohickey on the whatzit & don't forget that flabberjabber and... Then I read through the manual & the photos made the technical terms some form in my head. Okay, Royal Caroline, I'm comin' for YOU... (Maybe. In 2026). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted July 13, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) In keeping with the format others have used for their builds, I'll start from the beginning. I chose this boat because it was plank-on-bulkhead and the hull had no compound curves. Plus, the Willie Bennett is an oyster dredge-craft that looks like a beauty queen. Plus the kit is more affordable than some less dramatic starters, which left me with most of my budget going towards tools - tools that will serve me forever as I do more expensive builds in the future. Lastly, I knew this would be a faster build than a Bluenose or Benjamin Latham, for example. It makes only a slightly smaller display than say, the Fair American. As a green-horn swabbie, I need the result to be on the mantel for inspiration ASAP! Edited July 13, 2014 by radrick21 Aussie048 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted July 14, 2014 (edited) I spent half a day taking inventory of the box's contents (I had to Google a lot of the names of things). I couldn't always tell if a given piece did or did not match up with the Parts List. A winder? Winder of what? Rudder horns? And what the heck is a hatch coaming? I'm sure I'll learn all those things as the build goes on. It's nice to enter a craft-world so unique that its very language is foreign to me. I'm having a very good time with this! Wish I could see better so I could build better. Edited September 27, 2014 by Novice Rick russ, johncole, GuntherMT and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schooner Posted July 14, 2014 Share #5 Posted July 14, 2014 (edited) Rick, You have picked a great kit. I'm about 90% done on my Willie B., its been on the shelf for about a year because I can't do the sails, but I finally found a friend of my wife's who has agreed to sew them. On of the things I love about this kit is that when finished you will have a model that 99% accurate inside and out, the only "cheating" is that the side planks use sheet plywood where the real boats had planks ( you could easily add your own planks since the plans show them.) You mentioned that one of the reasons you picked this kit was it has no compound curves - the reason for that is part of the cleverness of the design - they were designed so that they could be built by house carpenters rather than much more expensive boat builders. I have lived close to the Chesapeake Bay for many of the last 40 years so I have seen a lot of the skipjacks, including when there were a lot more of them and they were actually out trying to catch oysters instead of tourists, as they do now. It was quite a sight to see 10-15 of them out oystering in a group. Because this kit is almost all scratch building, if you finish it you will have the skills to tackle advanced kits. I really enjoy fabricating my own pieces rather than just gluing together some laser cut parts. The instruction book is as much a tutorial on skipjacks as it is a building guide. You are in for a very enjoyable build. Edited July 14, 2014 by schooner radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Pine Tar Posted July 15, 2014 Share #6 Posted July 15, 2014 Good beginning on a nice kit. Take your time with it and enjoy. Mine has been a good learning experience, transitioning from model railroading to model shipbuilding. With so many of the real ones being built over the years, the model is open to much interpretation by the builder. Have fun! radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbrush Posted July 15, 2014 Share #7 Posted July 15, 2014 you are off to a great start Rick! I will be following your build. radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerty Posted July 15, 2014 Share #8 Posted July 15, 2014 Welcome to the Willie L Bennett club ! Nice start ! radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shihawk Posted July 17, 2014 Share #9 Posted July 17, 2014 hi rick have you thought on optivisers of some kind ,will be very usefull later in build ,i can,t work without them . your of to a good start enjoy , and take your time Have Fun radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schooner Posted July 23, 2014 Share #10 Posted July 23, 2014 Rick, something else that might help - if you have a Dremel or other rotary tool you can use a knife or saw to cut "close" to your desired line and then use a drum sander to sand the wood to its final dimensions. Doesn't apply in all situations but where it does I sometimes find I can sand more accurately than I can cut. I can certainly second the suggestion to get the head-mounted magnifiers - I'd be lost (and blind) without mine Tim radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted September 23, 2014 (edited) Ok, end of shore leave and resuming my work on the Willie Bennett. I'm off the dining room table and into my full modeling workshop in the spare room. I got some cool machinery and doo-dads that will help me go faster & more accurately. I even got a miniature table saw to cut my own planking (thanks Tim). Now all I have to do is figure out what the heck I'm doing. My Workshop Helper: Edited September 25, 2014 by Novice Rick GuntherMT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) Setting the keelson atop the moulds was an interesting first for me. Not sure if I was supposed to glue it yet but I couldn't risk losing the hard-won square. Edited September 27, 2014 by Novice Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) I've been struggling for days on my first scratch-build piece ever. Just transferring the drawing onto the wood was not working out well. The pin-poking thing seemed to invite inaccuracy, so I went to making a graphite-paper transfer instead, directly onto the wood. That looked pretty good to me until I went to cut it. I kept losing sight of the line as I scroll sawed. I'm not very good on a scroll saw to begin with! Anyway, it was proving impossible for me to define the precise angle and curve I needed. Then I remembered how I used to do it on fabrics when doing upholstering years ago: I made a tracing of the piece onto thin paper, then cut that out for use as my perfect template. I was able to salvage and reshape one of the previously mauled attempts using this paper pattern.. Following are some pics of the process from rough trace-cut, to adding the paper pattern for saw and Dremel shaping. Finally I hand-sanded the curve. I'm surprised. It came out pretty good. Last pic shows the skeg more or less where it will be going. Now I can use it to help me quickly make new patterns for the second skeg, the battens, and foregripe shoe. Oh, forgot to mention I used a bendable curve ruler so I could get my tracing exactly right. Great invention. I warmed it up a little with a hair dryer to make it easier to shape. So there you go. The saga of a scratch-build newbie begins. Basically, I seem to wander around the road a lot, but I get to my destination eventually! Edited October 11, 2014 by Novice Rick johncole, schooner and GuntherMT 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johncole Posted October 7, 2014 Share #14 Posted October 7, 2014 Rick, It looks good so far! I believe once the hull is taken away from the molds, it will make more sense. BTW, I bought this model in 1988 (the older yellow box version). I opened the kit, read the plans, and was immediately overwhelmed. I then built another kit that I believed was better suited for my skills, but truth is, I should have done WB instead. This forum is responsible for allowing so many novices the chance to enjoy this hobby, to start their first kit, and then see it through to completion. Just might have a go at my own WB now! John radrick21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) I decided to do the push boat now while I was waiting for the hull-work (sides) to dry. Sides came out ok, and I'll be moving on to the bottom shortly. I think it'll be a lot of fun to do. It's really rewarding to see some meat going onto the bones. The little push boat has been super fun.. And so tiny! I've seen pictures of it that others have built, and I see it in many variations. Not sure where I'm going with the details yet, but I do think I'll paint it in stages, and before metalwork goes on. I know everyone seems to use oil paints. Is there some reason for not using acrylic paint? Acrylics can be manipulated into finishes that simply cannot be achieved with oils. Edited October 11, 2014 by Novice Rick schooner and GuntherMT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share #16 Posted October 12, 2014 (edited) Making progress... Edited October 12, 2014 by Novice Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share #17 Posted October 14, 2014 (edited) Hello. Still focusing on the push boat, I made the washboard. I found it needed a lot of fussing with in order to get the lines right, and I broke two of them. To resolve this weakness, I made the last one out of birch instead of basswood and had no further problem with breakage. Still needs some trimming/sizing but getting there. At least the balance is right so that's the main thing thus far. Prime coat, sand, repeat (exterior surfaces). Undecided on all the colors. Variations are mentioned, so there is some freedom there I guess. Working on making the motor cover today. Planning on a hinged working lid, and a motor inside (made of play-dough or something). Completing the push boat will be a newbie-milestone for me! Edited October 14, 2014 by Novice Rick schooner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share #18 Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Okay, not happy with the shear's fit onto the wash board. The sides apparently lost too much of their outward slant when I first removed the hull from the moulds. I knew that was happening a little but didn't see why it mattered very much. Well, I know now that it's very important to keep the sides outward because the wrong angle simply ruins the fine fit of the washboard later. In a nutshell, the lip of the washboard must have a very slight overhang, uniformly around the top of the shear. A 1/16th of an inch would be about right, whereas my first attempt has shown to overhang the shear (top edges) by over 1/8 inch at spots. If I were to just shave down the washboard to adjust the perimeter lip, the resulting imbalance of the center hole area would be unpleasing to the eye and untrue to the original design. So, I've decided to remake the push boat altogether, while retaining the precision-made wash board only. I had fair warning in the instructions the sides would try to cave in upon removal from the moulds. I guess I didn't want to hear it. My hard work looked so good! Silly me. In ship building, one mistake really does lead to another. I'm learning I mustn't blow past little mentions like that tip. Every word of it is there for a reason. All I had to do was lightly glue a couple of temporary braces that would then hold the sides outward. Then don't cut away exposed braces until way down the road after the wash board is seriously glued on. Hm. What if I were to make my own moulds based directly on my existing washboard's actual size and curvature? Just let the washboard be the guiding star in the first place? That way everything else would just fall in line correctly. Lastly, making the sides and the washboard out of harder wood as I did (1/64 or thicker birch) can only help suppress side-warping and improve wash board hull-holding power when glued down on the boat shear. You'll see me trying that in the forthcoming pics of all this process here if you care to check it out in a few days. Just working out loud for my own self and any interested fellow newbies who are going to be dealing with this tricky push boat. I'm far from where I want to be in my skill and knowledge, but I'm betting all of this little preventive stuff might come in handy on many kinds of builds to come. I've heard that ship plans are not always precisely right in various ways, large and small. I'm going on the assumption that the Willie is correct in every way. Nobody has ever said different that I could find. I don't know if extreme precision is crucial on this push boat, but I want it to be. How will I learn to have high standards in the crunch of the big builds if I don't demand it of myself here at the start on this tiny boat? I'll spend a month on it if I have to. The only thing missing will be the smell of seaweed & motor oil and the sound of the exhaust. Edited October 15, 2014 by Novice Rick schooner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schooner Posted October 15, 2014 Share #19 Posted October 15, 2014 There's many a time when faced with a mess of my making i've gone back,reread the instructions and found the small note that would have saved me. Keep stroking along Rick, your post shows your are learning as much, if not more, from your mistakes as your successes. It won't be long and you will be able to look around corners and anticipate problems like this one, even if the instructions don't give you any warnings. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrick21 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share #20 Posted October 16, 2014 Thank you Tim. I guess mistakes while entering a new craft are to be expected. I think you are right - these lessons are learned and remembered! I found a much bigger problem than the push boat - I glued the keel to the hull back in the beginning. I did not understand that the moulds would be disposed of. Again, the instructions told me not to glue them, but I thought that meant I'd be gluing them eventually rather than not at all. So, I'll have to leave the interior a little rough looking after cutting the frames out. I guess it won't show anyway, but darn. Ha - made me think of that lengthy pop quiz in high school that said to read all the questions before beginning the test. The last question was, "Do not answer any questions on this quiz. Quietly doodle all you like." As you can guess, I was not one of the doodlers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feathermerchant Posted December 16, 2015 Share #21 Posted December 16, 2015 Hi Rick, just found your build list. Appears that you have not progressed this past year. I to am building the W.B. and am setting the ceiling in the hold. The question is what is the definition of a ceiling when it is the deck or floor of the hold? My experience has been that ceilings are overheads and floors are decks. I am confused about the use of the term "ceiling". Off to do more research............................bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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