GUNBOAT PHILADELPHIA by Steve.Y - FINISHED - Model Shipways

[bebopsteve]

Ok, I like the pencil idea. Now, where on the planks do we add the marks? Spacing wise?  

[bebopsteve]

Just finished installing the forward cockpit flooring (detail 2-5 on plans). Seemed pretty routine but it took a while as football and the weather here in Seattle is great. I will finish the aft flooring then stain it all at the same time. Again pretty routine. 

[Chuck Seiler]

Steve,

 

    That looks good.  Did you use pencil for the 'tween plank caulking?

 

    I am running a bit behind.  As I think I previously mentioned, I believe the bulkhead at the back of the forward platform (in this case, frame 12) was not solid...but in fact open to permit crawlspace type access.  I am having some setbacks.  :-(  I hope to have some pics by tonight.

[bear]

Hi Steve

 

I finished my build months ago. Our building group at our now closed hobby shop built the Philadelphia as the thrid group build. I bought hte two books on the Philadelphia,one had the Smithsonian prints in it. I put all of the nails in my model. There are over 2,500 .025 square nails in my hull. I drilled all of the holes first with a .022 dia. drill. Then I opened the round hole with a .028 square pin. I then put in .025 square white Evergreen styrene plastic into each hole. I used Titebond to hold them in. When I put them in,I left them about 1/16" aboue the serface of the planks.

 

I then cut them down so that they were about .025 above the surface. After staining the hull in it's first coat,I then sanded them down to where they are .015-.010 above the surface. After the rest of the hull and decks were finished,I then using a steel colored Gundamn paint pen-painted each of the "nails"

 

It looks great,you can then use more stain to highlight there the nails are,and how the wood ould discolor around each one.

 

I used the pans from the Smithsonian to change the details on the boat from the kit's to represent a true scale model of the Philadelphia. I also used .032 red oak veneer with a .o32 basswood as backing for the oak planks on the hull and deck. All this took about 8 months of steady work. I also added grain deatil to the basswood that I used,so that it looks like oak.

 

As for the hull planks,I first made the planks to fit the hull in the .032 basswood,then I would glue the oak veneer to the plank,while it was flat and sandwiched between two steel rulers with clamps,to keep it from warping while drying. Then I would trim the oversized oak veneer to the plank outline and fasten it to the hull frames.

 

Keith

[Chuck Seiler]

Keith,.

 

   Do you have any pictures? I am intrigued.  Start a build log and post some.  I know that you are already complete, but this will allow you to post your pics without using somebody else's log.

 

    Which 2 books?

[bebopsteve]

Hey Keith, some pics would be great!

Thanks!

[bebopsteve]

Hey Chuck, yep pencil for caulking. Instructions do not mention planking the cockpit walls.. Dang! I wish I had done that

[Chuck Seiler]

Next time around...when you scratch build it.   

Edited September 10, 2014 by Chuck Seiler

[bebopsteve]

I better shadow what you are doing more! I caught myself yesterday thinking about the cockpit planking while I was at a recording session actually performing. I had to share and everyone had a good laugh! Actually a few of the musicians are very intrigued about my Philly project.. 

[bebopsteve]

Getting the shearstrakes installed. Cockpit floors and walls done. Thinking I will stain floors and walls before I get much further.

[bear]

You can see some photos of my completed Philadelphia on out groups blog  woodenshipclass.blogsspot.com  . 

 

Keith

[MarkCC]

I am at almost the exact same point in my build.  Only real difference being that I am working on the inner planking first as opposed to the outer.  I am also planning to stain the interior before going too much further.

 

Mark

[Chuck Seiler]

Mark,

 

   I would not recommend workin gon th einner planking first.  The plans are a bit jumbled, but it sets the planking in to three sections; Top three strakes of the outer planking, inner planking, remainder of the outer planking.  The instructions don't explain why it is this way, but I ended up doing it that way when I scratch built with out the benefits of instructions, so there must be a reason.

 

    For me, I found that laying the first three outer planks helps make th emodel more stable and less prone to snapping things off, while shifting to inner gave me access to the inner planks from both sides.  I don't remember why that was important.  Kurt Van Dahm says to add a block up in the bow to help support the inner planking.  Otherwise it has a very small point of attachment to the stem and may break off.  That block is attached to the outer planking.

[Chuck Seiler]

    I was unable to access Keith's/Bear's pictures.  Has anyone had success?

[Chuck Seiler]

Thanks Bart.  Try as I might; Bing or Google, "Wooden Ship Class" or "woodenshipclass" or "woodenshipclass.blogspot", I am unable to find that on my own. 

 

I will take a gander tonight.

[bebopsteve]

Been working on the hull planking. Wale + 1 is installed, now I am tryng to figure the best way to continue. I included a photo of the bottom planked. 

[Chuck Seiler]

Inner planking, of course.  Looking good.

[bebopsteve]

Finally getting hull planking together. Will post some pics next day or so..

[bebopsteve]

Ok, FINALLY getting hull planking together.. Will post some pics later, but I am getting happy with results.

[bebopsteve]

So I am moving forward with hull planking and decided to veneer the stern and keel posts..I like the clean look..rockler had small variety paks of assorted veneers..

This picture is just dryng the piece. I will post completed latet

[bebopsteve]

Some hull pre sanded

[bebopsteve]

Happy New Year! It has been a while, so here are a few pics of progress. I did not like the brass rings for the hawse hole flanges, so rummaging through my drum parts box I found some small grommets that almost fit exact.. I like the look better. I also stained the knees for contrast.

[bebopsteve]

Chests installed..

[Chuck Seiler]

Lookin'good.  I am about to post some myself, but I am not as far along as you.

 

I don't see the grommet on the inside.

[bebopsteve]

Hey Chuck, some of those pics were pre-grommet. Here's one with it. It was funny, I opened a tool box organizer that I keep drum parts in, and 4

of these grommets were sitting right there. I don't even know where or what they were from..

Edited January 3, 2015 by Steve.Y

[Nirvana]

Steve,

Being a former drummer I understand the collection of "odd" things we can have laying around.

That's a nice use of the grommets.

Are you going to do some fills where the small grooves are in the grommets?

Ha, , fills and grooves two terms used in music as well...... :)

Edited January 3, 2015 by Nirvana

[bebopsteve]

Fills and grooves! Elvin Jones and Billy Higgins! Actually all I had to do was file the 2 small protusions. The dremel did that quick!

[Chuck Seiler]

What next?

[bebopsteve]

Hey Chuck, The eyebolts should be black correct?

[Chuck Seiler]

I'm not sure what the instructions say.  They look white on the SMITHSONIAN model.

 

 

 

....so that's how I made mine.  I used styrene tube.