Beavers Prize 1777 by Mike Y - 1:48 - POF - Hahn style

[Mike Y]

Thank you, Antony! Will try not to dissappoint

 

Omega1234, nope, better focus on getting one model done with a better quality. At least, that is the plan so far

[md1400cs]

Hi Mike,

 

Found your build log and spent some time here. Excellently detailed work. I'll drop in more often. Very informative log as well.

I have always been so impressed with builders on the scratch side.

 

I will prob. not reach that level of skill (;-)

 

Regards,

 

Michael

[Mike Y]

Current state of things: not so much modelling, more of a summer activities, camping, etc.

 

Ordered a set of engineering squares to glue the frames straight. Still waiting for the shipping...

Will start cutting remaining frames in a meanwhile

Edited June 20, 2015 by Mike Y

[Omega1234]

Hi Mike

 

Beautiful! You may say 'camping', but I reckon the upturned hull reminds me of a cathedral. You're doing a fantastic job and I'm always keenly interested to follow your progress.

 

All the best!

 

Patrick

[mtaylor]

Beautiful framing, Mike.

Edited June 20, 2015 by mtaylor

[albert]

Hi Mike, beautiful work.

[Mike Y]

Thanks Albert! Your Naiad is one of my unreachable targets, it is soo beautiful!

 

Patrick, thanks, if only I can have enough time to build it as fast as I want! Life offers so many interesting things, and just a few hours a day when you can enjoy them...

[Mike Y]

Made a very ugly jig made from plexiglass sheets, to get a straight 90 degrees for all dimensions when gluing the frames.

 

 

Looks working, now I am trying not to rush things and go slowly, one-two frames a day - glue should set, so frame will not get skewed.

[mtaylor]

If the jig is working, it can't possibly be ugly, Mike.  I like it.

[Mike Y]

Learned a lesson about Hahn method - should be really careful with the width of the frame tips, the ones that are glued to the framing jig:

 

I was cutting them very roughly (they are not a part of the model, would be cut off anyway). As a result, got some frames that are not in line with other frames:

 

To fix it, reduced thickness of some frame tips and inserting spacers into the others:

 

The good thing is that I will have one side fully planked - I do not care that much about consistency of that side.

The other side, that would be opened - is now in line.

 

All 20 midship frames are permanently glued in

 

 

and fixed with Castello treenails:

 

Edited July 8, 2015 by Mike Y

[mtaylor]

Nice work, Mike and a nice catch on the frame ends.  You're doing a super job on the frames.

[gjdale]

Good catch Mike. Looking superb.

[Mike Y]

Frame mass-production in progress... Boring, once the process is stable - it becomes just a matter of time

that spring clamps I am using for lamination are actually big and strong. The benefit comparing to regular clamps - you get an even and continuous pressure at all points, no way to over-tighten one clamp and under-tighten another.

 

In a meanwhile, used my "training model" to cut the gunports. Turned out to be harder than I expected, swiss files are not strong enough - so most of the wood is removed with knife and chisel, which is kind of scary. Ordered Xacto micro blade, #15, to help with gunport cutting: http://xacto.com/products/cutting-solutions/blades/classic-blades/Keyhole-Saw-Blade-15.aspx

 

Built the height transferring device. Height gauges are too expensive, and it is a pleasure to build a small cute tools out of wood. Using clamp instead of a brass knob - looks weird, but will not damage the wood. And clamp is a bit easier to use

 

Edited July 12, 2015 by Mike Y

[mtaylor]

Nice work there, Mike.   Yep... boring but necessary.  The No. 15 is a very useful blade for me.  It's gets into places nothing else will.   They also make a No. 11 sized saw blade which is also great.

[Mike Y]

Midship frames were easy, now I am in the area of extreme bevels:

 

Thanks to Mr. Hollom, who built his Oliver Cromwell from Hahn's plans and confirmed that these bevels are correct and could be trusted. If you missed his build log and fantastic model - it is here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/1883-oliver-cromwellbeavers-prize-by-peter-mr-hollom-148/

 

After pre-beveling frames already look neat!

 

Current status: 20 frames installed, 20 frames produced and drying from the wipe-on-poly right now.

 

Oh, Oliver Cromell have just 40 frames, so I do not need to produce any more, whoo-hoo!

 

 

[AON]

took me a moment to look away and spot the others hanging off the shelves!

[mtaylor]

Look good, Mike.   Are you planking the exterior?   Glue doesn't like poly....  Don't ask how I know.

[Mike Y]

Mark, it would be fully planked from one side (no poly there) and fully opened from another side (even no wales).

This is the model that I used as a reference:

[Omega1234]

Nice work, Mike!! You're really cracking along with this build.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[mtaylor]

I like that way, Mike... just frames and able to see what's inside.

[Mike Y]

Christmas arrived early this time!

 

Was on a business trip to US, bought a lot of stuff from Lee Valley - miniature chisels, miniature block plane, sharpening system, wetstones, etc. Also grabbed a nice height gauge on ebay, it is more precise than my handmade wooden one.

The TSA officers in the airport were quite confused with all that set in my cabin luggage. Especially the height gage and a sharpening system looked really scary on the xray. Spent around 30min explaining that all that things are pretty secure, pff.

 

Already tried chisels and plane with a factory sharpening - wow, they are sharp! Cutting pear like butter. Nice!

 

Wood stash was also refilled - fresh batch of boxwood and pear from Arkowood, and Holly from Crown Timberyard. All of these are perfect! Interesting that box from Arkowood and Hobbymill perfectly match in color, while being produced on a different continents. 

[AON]

isn't Lee Valley great!          

[Mike Y]

Yes! Their "miniature" section is amazing. Hope they will extend the miniature tool range

[Omega1234]

Nice set of tools, Mike! I had a little chuckle about the TSA officers, but funny as it seems, I guess that's the price of safety, nowadays.

 

All the best!

 

Patrick

[Mike Y]

Small status update - frame installation is slowly progressing. Also marked the cutoff points and gun ports.

Decided to skip the sweep ports on this model - they really do not look good with Hahn frame spacing - sweep port is narrower than the distance between frames. 

But I will definitely do them on a next model, that have a correct framing (as in TFFM), not a simplified one.

 

 

 

P.S.: careful viewer can mention a magnetic bar in the background, holding some hand tools. Really handy thing! Very happy with it.

[Omega1234]

Hi Mike

 

She's coming along beautifully! Those frames are seriously nice and it'd be a shame to plank over them...but, it must be done of course.

 

I'm looking forward to your next update.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Mike Y]

They would not be planked! No planks on the nice side. Fully planked "backyard side"

Edited October 1, 2015 by Mike Y

[Mike Y]

Surprised myself and installed all that weirdly shaped bow frames in just 4 hours. 

 

 

Pretty weird looking gap between the last frame and the stem, looks like a broken tooth. But it is not a mistake, there are only 40 frames in the jig. Need few more to cover the gap.

 

This is how Peter (Mr. Hollom) solved that problem in his build:

 

But I am not sure if it will look good (especially since I will have no wales or planks on one side), and will try to insert one more frame in the middle of that gap or maybe glue it directly to the stem.

 

One of the Hahn's drawings actually show two extra frames, that are not present on a framing plan / jig plan / frame plans. That extra frames are glued to the stem and to each other. Hmmm....

Will try different options to end up with the most even spacing. 

I truly wonder why Hahn omitted one (or two) extra frames, would make life so much easier. 

Edited October 4, 2015 by Mike Y

[druxey]

The extra 'frames', parallel to the keel, are called hawse timbers. If you look at other framed models on this site, you will see how that works. Of course, Hahn has stylized real world framing. Usually there are four or five hawse timbers per side.

[Mike Y]

Druxey, thanks for the note. Hahn framing is quite different in that area, he do not show hawse timbers. It is quite different from a real framing, descibed in TFFM. Simplified for aesthetics

Adding just two hawse timbers will look weird, so will try to follow the same style - probably will add one skewed frame, like the most forward frame on the hull right now.