Bristol Pilot Cutter by michael mott - 1/8 scale (POF)

[TBlack]

Michael,

I know I'm coming late to this party, but my thinking is like John's vis a vis the cabin top. Although I understand your attraction to "pinstripe" decking; it is attractive.

 

That binacle and compass are truly outstanding. It's good that you put dimensions in the log entries from time to time, otherwise we get to thinking it's life-sized. I've seen for a while now that you know how to talk to brass, and apparently it answers you back!

Tom

[captainbob]

Everything is going to work, even the  gimbaled compass.  All I can say is it’s a good thing it’s not a motorboat.        Putt.  Putt.  Putt

 

Bob

[the learner]

A fantastic Build! I love your detail describing and constructing all of the iron work, Great job!

Edited November 12, 2013 by the learner

[michael mott]

John, Mark, Joe, Tom, Bob, Guy, Thanks for the kind comments.

 

Back to the cabin Planking, I thought about the deck and so did another test this time with the planks being pine and the redwood to simulate the caulking. I haven't tried using Fir yet.

 

 

 

I'm feeling more comfortable with this combination. Which I suppose would be better.

 

Michael

 

 

[michael mott]

Had a bit more play with some massing and using the fir planks with no pinstripe, I feel that I am on the right track now.

 

I will sit on this for a bit and if it still feels right then start framing it up.

 

 

 

 

 

I will keep the hatch to the port side, I am thinking also of a small slope forward on the raised section.

 

Michael

 

 

[mtaylor]

Hmm... I think you're right, Michael.  The racing stripe would work on a yacht but all of the same color and in a lighter wood seems more appropriate for a working ship. 

[Jim Lad]

No pinstripe looks good to me, Michael.

 

John

[Yambo]

 

 

 

IMG_1401x800.jpg

 

 

 

I like the contrast with this arrangement. Looks spot on.

[captainbob]

Who's the helmsman, Michael?  Have we met him yet?

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

superb work Michael.....so much imagination into the compass.......it's just great!   if you had darker center line on the deck,  the other cabin roof would match better...........but since it is plain...........you've got a better combination on there now......just super!

[Mirabell61]

Hi Michael,

 

your rigging and all the Fitting out and the choise of materials and their dimensions provide the confedence that this cutter could be magnified to actual size and sailed in a good breeze with filled red gaff sails and humming stays.....

Beautifull build Michael I like it

 

Nils

[shipmodel]

Michael -

 

I finally found time to work through all 40 pages of this build log, and it was time very well spent.  Like all the others, I am astounded by your skills, and especially your metalworking.  A working gimballed compass puts you in a class so far above anything else that you might need an oxygen mask.  I am humbled by your willingness to go back and discard something, even a complex metal fitting like the roller crank, if you think it is wrong or you can do better work.  The results speak for themselves.  And they speak volumes.

 

Thank you for sharing your progress, not only in the building, but in the thought processes and experiments that lead you to your wonderful results. 

 

My wife and I are thinking about a trip through Montana, Calgary, Banff and on to Vancouver in the late summer / early fall of next year.  I will try to get her to agree to a small detour to see you and the cutter in person.  It would be the highlight of my trip, if not hers

 

Till then - rock on as you have begun. . .

 

Dan

[michael mott]

Mark, John, Yambo, thanks for your thoughts on the cabin planking.

 

Bob, the helmsman is Arnold he is a giant at six foot eight. Walter on the other hand is four foot six.

 

Denis, thanks for your thoughts about the planks.

 

Nils thanks for the ideas about the colour of the sails. I still need to address those.

 

Also thanks for the Likes, it is not something that I do in any of the programs that have that feature, just one of my idiosyncrasies.

 

Dan, thanks for your comments, regarding the approaches to my work. Having the luxury of being retired from commercial model making and exhibit design gives me the time to redo elements that are more appropriate for this model, which for me is a steep learning curve. Greg had said "that for some it is the journey and not the destination" it is that journey which for me gives me the greatest pleasure, and  whether something stays or is changed or replaced is part of that journey.

 

Today I made a start on the final cabin walls the mahogany ones had to go, there were too many things I wanted to change. The biggest one was the colour, Having decided upon the Fir for the cabin top I thought that white would look better for the sides with the exception of the companionway which will be in some bright-work and Mahogany

 

But I really am not wanting to paint them so I have changed them to some white pine. in scale it is a single plank of white pine that is 16 inches at the aft end and 12 inches at the fore by 2 inches thick, a large plank for sure but not outside the bounds of reasonable.

 

 

I built a small thickness sander, which is easier than lots of hand planing to work with the wood.

 

After preparing the planks I cut my first dovetails in 34 years, I am pleased with the result.

 

 

 

One down three to go

 

 

I also set a new more shallow curve for the cabin top. and made a template for the rest of the beams

 

Cut the rough opening for the companionway.

 

 

Now to make the beams.

 

Michael

 

 

 

[realworkingsailor]

Dovetails? You're kidding right? You really got those out of some old Mennonite made kitchen drawer..... tell the truth now...   :P 

 

 

All kidding aside, a very nice touch

 

Andy

[Jim Lad]

Gimbals on the compass; dovetails on the cabin.  Why not!

 

John

[dvm27]

It's such a pleasure to watch a craftsman challenge himself and then see the results. You're in rarefied air Mr. Mott!

[michael mott]

Andy, Mennonites eh?

 

John, thanks.

 

Greg, Thank you.

 

Here is a couple of shots of the crude thickness sander, I like the fact that I can use the cross slide to index for fine cuts.

 

 

The raised block in the centre had the original purpose of making the fence taller, serendipitously it also acts as a finger stop.

 

 

And a bit of planking on the cabin, all is just resting the rebates are false and glued.

 

 

 

Time for a break, its been a long day.

 

Michael

[Jim Lad]

Time for a break, its been a long day.

 

Yer done good, Michael!

 

John

[captainbob]

I'm glad Walter is still the foreman.  He gets such beautiful work out of you. 

 

Bob

[druxey]

Nice to know that you hadn't forgotten how to cut a neat dovetail! Sweet.

[SJSoane]

 

Hi Michael,

 

I am just catching up with your build. Beautiful work. It is hard to believe, when looking at these photos, that this is not full scale. I thought at first you were building full size drawers with those dovetails!

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

[michael mott]

John, thanks

Bob,

 

I'm glad Walter is still the foreman

yes Walter is a hard taskmaster.

 

Druxey,

 

Nice to know that you hadn't forgotten how to cut a neat dovetail! Sweet.

The thanks have to go to Mr Prince My old junior school teacher who knew how to teach woodwork and coax the best out of the boys. Woodwork was my favourite class, next to drawing and metalwork.

 

Crackers,

 

So inspiring that you'll have the urge to construct a 1:1 scale of the real vessel

I'm not so sure about that.

 

Mark, thanks for looking in,

 

I thought at first you were building full size drawers with those dovetails!

Photography can be deceiving.

 

 

Getting back to the cabin and working out the slide logs for the companionway hatch I needed to make a sort of Ogee profile, I thought about scrapers and beading tools used by cabinet makers. I have used the razor blade scrapers but this is a rather larger profile and I thought that a router type form cutter would work. it took a few tries to get the cutter working reasonably well. The cutter was ground into the end of a broken end mill.

 

 

 

 

 

Now all I have to do is slit a 12 inch length of 3/16th brass tube. to cover the sides of the hatch.

 

Michael

Edited November 18, 2013 by michael mott

[Jim Lad]

The cutter has certainly worked well, Michael!

 

John

[michael mott]

Well a quick jig that I was happy with. A scrap of maple was drilled to accept a slide fit of the 3/16 tube

then a .014 slitting saw was set in the middle of the tube and the block , the tube was pushed into the blade untill it came out the other end of the maple.

Next the tube was gripped with the needle nose and as evenly as possible pulled through in the same way we use a draw plate.

the 3/16 seemed a bit small so I moved up a diameter to 7/32 tube.. I am pleased with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now to make the hatch.

 

Michael

[michael mott]

Thanks John, I think that the next cutter I make will be turned on the lathe out of drill rod then shaped hardened and tempered then sharpened and polished as a double sided cutter I think it woll be a bit easier on my fingers pushing.

 

michael

[CAd My Fingers]

Michael, it's always a pleasure catching up with your build--beautiful, new treats each time! You not only always wow me with your outstanding work, you also now wow me with your ability to take photos while both your hands are engaged!

 

 

Cheers,

Jay

[shipmodel]

^{Hi Michael -}

 

^{Ingenious jig to slice the brass tubing.  I will have to remember it when I need a similar solution.  I also like the photos with the odd ropes and fittings lying around  the deck, just like a real ship under construction.  Very nicely done.}

 

^{Like Jay, I would love to know how you take photos with such depth of field when you are not even holding the camera.}

 

^{Be well}

 

^Dan

[michael mott]

Good morning.

Jay, Dan, the photo set up is a simple tripod, and a 2 second delay on the exposure and an F7 or F8 on the shutter. Dan I'm happy that the tube slitting is useful.

 

Michael

[rlb]

Michael,

 

"The thanks have to go to Mr Prince My old junior school teacher who knew how to teach woodwork and coax the best out of the boys. Woodwork was my favourite class, next to drawing and metalwork."    Why am I not surprised!

 

You have a truly delightful model going, and the building surprises never stop!

 

Ron

[michael mott]

Ron, thanks for stopping by.

 

Today I worked on the edge moulding for the hatch sides the split tube design was described in the fourth edition of "Boat Building Manual" by Robert M Seward on page 244 showing typical slide details.

I developed a drawing and the split tube needed to mate to the edge of the mahogany board which is 1/8th inch thick or 1 inch in scale. the boards still need to be tapered and spline d before joining them.

 

 

Set up the mill

 

 

 

 

Michael