18th century longboat by Matrim - FINISHED

[Matrim]

K, My workhouse is up and rather than jump straight into my scratch build I have decided to do some kit modelling (and workbench building) prior to moving to that. I liked this build because it is simple, attractive and does not take up a lot of space so ordered it from the USA even though the shipping cost more than the kit.

 

I have not thought to closely about materials and might replace the planking though this will have to wait until I can get my Byrnes table saw and disk sander replaced as both died whilst in storage and are now spinning as fast as an amoebic hampster with just as much chance of cutting wood. 

 

Anyway following most other builds I started by gently sanding the thicker sheets to remove the odd burn mark from the laser cutting. For this I used a perspex sheet with some large A4 sized sanding sheets stuck to either side (the sanding paper came with one side 'sticky' for this very purpose). This allows one side to 'engage' with any surface and not slip around and also allows fairly even pressure to be applied across the piece sanded.

 

 

Next I removed the false keel and related parts and removed any stubs caused by the connection to the parent piece with some gentle sanding followed by adding the bevel for the plank below the bearding line. All the pieces fit nicely together so far which is nice.

 

 

Finally I flung up a rough and ready building board to 'support' the keel. This was simply two pieces of flat wood (that I had in my spares box fortunately as without my table saw I certainly cannot make new ones) and I scroll sawed out the connecting bit of the stem piece to help support that.

 

 

Attractive eh!

 

 

[Matrim]

Gluing the false keel etc went okay 

 

 

as did its placement within the stand though the side pieces were slightly to large when the bulkheads were dry fitted so I added a small thin plank at the bottom to rise it slightly.

 

 

First bulkhead going in with helpful set squares trying to ensure that at least some angles are at right angles.

 

 

I will probably try and do two bulkheads an evening tidying the tops of the false keel as I go...

[Chuck]

Nice to see you joining the project....looking good so far   

[mobbsie]

Hi Matrim,

 

This is a lovely little boat and you've made a great start. Mind if I pull up a barrel and follow along.

 

You have some great examples to help and guide you through.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[Matrim]

Bulkheads are up though considering the amount of contact between them and the keel I suspect movement would be possible without much force (which may prove useful if I knock anything out when sanding the bulkheads, plus there are a couple I am not quite certain if they are exactly where I want them..)

 

 

[Matrim]

Initial planking is finally complete. I had forgot how difficult it was (the Triton cross section was to easy going as a planking exercise). If I had to mark my efforts I would probably say a 'C' so I have loads of room for improvement as a plus it was better than my last kit endeavors though. I did find it easier when I started gluing to two-three bulkheads at a time as with the earlier efforts I glued the lot and used clamps to hold it down. This was less successful than the other method..

 

I also tried to use a pencil to line the planks but this rapidly mixed with the glue to make an unusual patina..

 

 

Soon cleared up after an initial sand

 

 

So the next job is to finish sanding it smooth...

[Matrim]

K, question guys and gals. I have just placed the cap rail on and looking ahead I have to add some of the picture things once they have had artist stabalizer. After that painting the top section red and then much later staining the visible sections. Instead I am considering

 

Staining what is in place now (some overlap with areas which will eventually be red) then painting the red and then adding the freizes. Does anyone have any opinions on this approach? All I can think is that the paint might differ in colour between stained and unstained (so I could stain the lot) or not take at all and staining might reduce the glue strength when more of the inboard works go in....

 

I am not certain..

[mtaylor]

Joss,

 

Test it.  If the stain is oil based there may be a paint issue.  One the one or two where I stained and painted, I painted first and then stained.  That way I could wipe the stain off while it was still wet. 

[Nirvana]

Joss,

Looking good.

The stain (varnish) will not affect painted areas, oil or waterbased. Look at my build log, the paint even worked as a mask.

As for the frieze, have the cap rail painted first, then attach the frieze and finally the rub rail (make sure you have it painted first), just like the instructions says.
Painting or staining various areas is up to each builder of this amazing little boat.

[Matrim]

Thanks

[Matrim]

After sanding and fairing the inside I moved on to the cap rail. This caused me to hit an unexpected issue in that I appeared to have lost all the kits wood. Not one to let life's little challenges get in the way I instead used a spare piece of yellowheart (lovely wood...yellow) which I had left over from the Triton (it does a good impression of buff paint should you not want to erm paint). Anyway I thinned it down to the correct size and then glued my template to it using the always amazing Fixogum which was still working well 5 years after I bought the tube.

 

 

I initially showed high stupidity levels by deciding to cut out my shape with the scroll saw. After the wood was banged furiously up and down and cracked due to its thin size I then resolved to use the instructions and use a scalpel instead.

 

Once installed the longboat was doing a sterling impression of a ship with elephant ears so I then trimmed initially with a scapel and then with a dremel sander to something approximating the correct size. I think I should have faired the inside frames a little more aggressively as it comes out at around 4/32nds and should be more like 3/32nds. 

 

Before painting I applied some oil to the wood (see above posts) and then added the white paint to the side of the cap rail (pictured below) before attaching the stencil thingies.

 

 

Finally I have just painted red section and also done the 1/32*1.32 strips white having found the kit wood behind the tool box. I prefer to paint then attach as I dont have the skill to paint something that thin in situ without painting everything else around it as well....
 

Hopefully I can get that done along with the waterline and white layer at the weekend. I have decided to paint the lower section white mainly because I did so much sanding it is almost translucent in places which is not a good look. Especially when the crew put their feet through the bottom so in the best traditions of a dodgy English yard I will hide that fact with paint and blame 'aggressive Scottish sea worm' for any damage when it is in use.

[Matrim]

Not much of an update but here is the (first) run of red paint. Needs touching up in places. Plus the lower white rail with its first glue on.

 

 

 

[GLakie]

This little longboat is looking quite nice Sir, very nice indeed! 

[Matrim]

Thanks. Next up I had to work through the waterline. I use an old 'trick' for this which is a coving laser.

 

 

Next up datum marks are added to the hull. In this case at the bow and stern on both sides (where the measurement is simple)

 

Then the key  is to setup the hull firstly upside down and secondly even on either side so Horizontally (vertically does not matter). The laser is then lined up to the two known datum points and using a pencil (though since I am painting a marker pen would do just as well) the waterline is then marked on with this being repeated on the other side. What is nice about this is that as long as the hull is even on both sides the coving laser can adjust to hit both datum points evenly and it should generate a straight waterline.

 

 

After the pencil mark is made masking tape is added as pencil lines will wobble slightly and this evens out any discrepancy. Once done check the two taped lines are around the same distance apart on both sides of the hull and that looking at the ship head on and from the bow the waterline looks straight. I always find this is the best check as it takes out any visual distortion from the curve of the hull and gives a good indication of the two sides hopefully matching. 

 

Then a layer of paint started going down...

 

[Matrim]

K moved on a little. I placed the floor planks in using the kit wood as that is paler than the hull planks but not as pale as Holly which is more representative of a furiously cleaned deck. 

 

Here are the planks and the stencils? for the platforms

 

 

Then I added the platforms both with support underneath as they are a little flimsy otherwise.

 

 

And then added the front of the shot locker..

 

 

Nice kit I am enjoying it though my work is not up to (a lot) of the other standards around here. My approach has always been 'incremental improvement' so as long as I do better than my last attempt then I am quite happy. 

[Chuck]

That is looking very good.   Well done.  I am glad you are having fun with it.

 

Chuck

[mtaylor]

Nice work, Joss.  As an observer, I see nothing amiss.  

[Matrim]

Brief update. I added the lockers using a paper template to get the size approximately correct

 

 

and then added the wood. I have decided to paint it hence the 'burn marked' wood.

 

 

I will see I am having some difficulty with the hinges for the hatch and have temporarily given up on that while I try and find a way that works for me to get them built. Basically my brass strap seems to thin to use lengthways and if width ways then the wire fills the width up and looks wrong. So something's not right beyond my inability to get the two to stick together and not separate when tool strong enough to cut the, cuts them.

 

Cheers,

 

Joss.

 

 

[Matrim]

K I have completed my workbench (so can start on my Amphion) but will move back to complete the longboat first. Unfortunately I seem to have knocked the mast of during the bench building (lots of bug planks being flung about). That is fine as I can rebuild the thwart but I also....seem to have lost one of ther belaying pins.

 

Just in case Modelexpos customer service is less than exemplary can anyone off the top of their head tell me the correct part I can order to replace. I will start flicking through the manual to see if that gives details tomorrow but thought I would short cut and check here first

 

Cheers,

 

Joss.

[Erik W]

Joss,
 
The belaying pin part number is: WP0410   I look forward to seeing more progress on your longboat!

 

Erik

[Nirvana]

Joss,

Making the belaying pin is not that hard, take it from me.

It was the first time doing them for me, please check my build log.

A dremel with a chuck, something to hold the Dremel insert the right size square boxwood and as Chuck explained to me "use files to shape"

Good luck.

[Matrim]

Thanks both...

[Matrim]

Another question. I cannot see anywhere how thick the shrouds should be. The instructions just tell you how to attach them and not 'use black ... sized rope or tan...sized rope and seize' unless I am missing something which is usually the case.

[Chuck]

Shrouds are .021 black rope.....I prefer a dark brown however but ME didnt have any. 

 

from the instructions...

 

Rigging the shrouds…

 

The shrouds are seized to the mast in pairs. Seize the shroud around the masthead with .021 black rope. Then seize a deadeye on the bottom of each shroud so they are both an equal distance from the deadeyes on the chainplates. A lanyard will be rigged between both deadeyes as shown in the illustration.

 

 

....also, when looking up this info I found my master word doc which I believe is un -edited by ME.  I have uploaded that to my pinned log topic.  Maybe it will clear up some wackyness from all the ME edits and changes over the years.

[Matrim]

Aha I see the problem I read that as 'seize the shroud [what width is this] with [A] 0.21 black rope as opposed to seize a 0.21 black rope shroud around the masthead.

 

Just the way my head works I suppose as that looked like you were describing the seizing rope size and not the shroud.

 

Thanks for clearing up my mistake though

[Matrim]

Time to briefly show that I am progressing. I seem to have forgotten a lot of rigging skills (as I used to rather like rigging) but bits are startting to come back to me. Hopefully I will get the gaff up tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

[MikeB4]

It looks good.

[Matrim]

The joys of bad lighting.

 

Anyway whilst rigging I have slowly improved some of my techniques but not solved all the problems I want to (one of the reasons I am considering another kit as opposed to divinng into my scratch next).

 

As an example I have always found knots in rigging problematic. I normally use a double basic knot which tends to be to easy to come undone so then reinforce with superglue. I don't like it as superglue makes the rope do weird things and the knot tends to be outsized for the scale worked at.

 

So my current new 'rules' are to use hitches or constrictor knots (if I have space to tie them) and when applying super glue only ever apply them once the rope is under tension as that avoids weird bends in what should otherwise be free flowing rope. When applying super glue I put a drop on a scrap bit of wood then use a smaller stick of wood to apply a tiny amount to lock the knot. That way I avoid the heinous sin of squeezing a super glue container on the model directly. This can cause bad things to happen....

 

Anyway this is all very well but in some cases waiting for the rope to be tensioned can cause problems if blocks are seized on section mainly as should the seizing manage to move slightly then the block can fall out causing the attempt to reset the block to cause you to accidentally knock the rudder out (ahem). Anyway to avoid this I now used the unchallenging method of gluing the seizing the night before but ensuring that the rope is tensioned with tweezers

 

 

This seems to be working far better for me.

 

Next step is to practice those hitches to reduce the common knot size. It would be really nice to avoid super glue altogether but that would almost be a follow on technique from being able to tidy the loose end somehow. Something I have not worked out yet either...

[GuntherMT]

Why not use a seizing and avoid the knots altogether?

 

Also, instead CA glue to secure the knot or seizing, try using Matte Medium or Matte Glaze.  Not quite as quick as CA, but works to perfection, and doesn't discolor your rope at all, and of course being a matte, leaves no shiny residue (or worse, white crystals if there is water present when CA is used).  It also remains somewhat flexible, avoiding those 'kinks'.

[Matrim]

Hi , I am seizing except where it is not possible or appropriate.

 

Thanks for the tip on a not so invasive knot securing technique though as that sounds a great improvement on what I am doing...