Pride of Baltimore II by AndyMech - Model Shipways - 1:64

[AndyMech]

Brian,

 

Thanks for that explanation.  I spent some time today trying to see how I would apply that to my situation, and it's really not too different than what I am currently doing:

 

- Each plank I'm putting on spans 4 bulkheads, so a reasonable length

- I mark the width of the plank to be fitted at each bulkhead, based on the tick marks, not just the two ends.

- Using a sharp #11 (as you indicated), score line in the plank, connecting the dots - each width at the bulkhead locations

- Sand, as necessary to fit

- I often soak each plank in water after initial sanding, and then clamp in place to get the bend in the plank - let it dry, then shape/sand it more before gluing.

 

There are some planks which are indicated to be wider in the middle than at the ends - planks in the center bulkheads for example.  Using just the "end mark" technique, wouldn't I end up cutting too much off the middle of the plank?

 

Maybe in that case I should mark the widest part of the plank and taper to each end?  Then, it's not much different than my current technique.

 

Andy.

[GuntherMT]

Exactly Andy.  There are certainly exception planks where you need an odd shape where just using the ends won't work, and you are correct, mark the 'thickest' spot of that plank, and cut back to each end. 

[AndyMech]

Well, it seems then that I'm on the right track and I need to hone my skills with practice.  It's nice to get the assurance that what I'm doing isn't totally out of left field.

 

Brian, thanks for the advice - I'll keep plugging along.  I can do maybe 1-2 strakes a day at my rate, but I only really get to work on the weekends, so it may be a while before the next photo update.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

Well, it's been almost 2 months since the last update, and I've made slow but steady progress.

 

I'll post twice here - these pictures were taken about a month ago at the completion the 2nd zone - zone C I think - working at the keel towards the wales.

 

My opinion is that I'm slowly getting better at placing the planks, but not getting much faster at it.  I'm soaking, bending, letting dry each one before gluing.

 

 

 

 

 

[AndyMech]

These pictures I took today.  I've added three planks from the wales toward the keel - section A, and then 3 more planks from the previous one towards the wales as well.  I'm closing in on gap from both sides, with 6 more strakes to go.

 

The last picture is a close up of the stern as the planks meet the counter.  They extend a little more than they have too, but I will sand that down after they're all in place.  Also bear in mind that I've not little to no sanding after the planks have been glued (each plank was sanded to taper and bevel), so it's a little rough, but I think (hope) it will smooth out once I finish planking and sand the entire surface.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy

[AndyMech]

Well, I'm posting this on December 24 - the holiday break has allowed me the time to complete the hull planking on my Pride of Baltimore.  A Christmas gift to myself.

 

This is my first planking job for a complete hull.  I had done the hull of the Constitution cross-section, but there was no bending involved, no stern, no bow to plank.  I'm slow, the planking took me about 4 months of work (not counting the few months not working at all).  I think I sped up near the end, and improved my technique as well.

 

No sanding of any consequence has been done yet.

 

Photos:

 

 

 

 

 

Next up, I think, will be to sand the hull, then plank the counter and stern.  Honestly, I've not looked at the instructions much beyond this planking task.

 

Thanks to everyone who commented, offered advice and "liked" my work thus far.  Much appreciated.

 

Andy.

[Sjors]

that's not bad at all Andy !!!!!!!

 

Well done !

And now? varnish ?

 

Sjors

[AndyMech]

Thanks, Sjors. I believe the plans call for the hull to be painted, but I will hold off on that until I finish sanding, planking the counter and re-read the instructions.

 

Andy

[Sjors]

Andy,

 

You have to do it as you like it.

With my San Ildefonso the manual is saying painting but I love to see the wood so I leave it naturel.

Only a few layers of varnish.

Don't forget....you re the captain and you are doing it your way !

 

Sjors

[jdbondy]

Congratulations on finishing the planking! It's a big step.

 

The decision of whether or not to paint the hull is purely a question of what level of authenticity to the current ship you want to achieve. I painted my hull to match the vessel as she exists.  And I must say it makes for a pretty hull.

[AndyMech]

Progress has been made, time for an update.  Since the last update, I've:

 

- Planked the Counter

- Added the supports for the transom

- Added coamings (prior to planking the deck)

- Painted the coaming, waterways and transom supports.

 

Here's the planked counter:

 

 

and the transom supports:

 

 

These are of the coamings and the painted waterways:

 

 

 

 

I spent a lot of time getting the coamings straight and at the proper height.  I also added scrap supports under the waterways so the deck railing stanchions will have something to stand on - a lot of the holes for the stanchions didn't have anything underneath them.

 

I've also been very careful to have the transom supports be planar with the end of the counter, especially the bit of waterways that goes between the transom supports - those were all sanded at a severe angle to be flush with the eventual transom planking..

 

But the transom will wait for another update.  The place where the transom meets the counter is tricky, but the plans call for a bit of molding there to cover it up.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

Next, I added the lower transom.  This was one piece of 1/32" thick wood, cut along a curve to match the counter, then sanded flush.  I will hold off on the upper transom until after I do the railings and plank up to it.

 

 

 

Next, I plan on planking the deck.  I started with the nibbling plank, all in one piece (per side):

 

 

The center planks will be next, but that's a future update (as I've not done it yet).

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

I completed the center planks.  There are two wider center planks that go right down the keel, and the section near the bow are painted red.

 

 

 

I then started the regular deck planking.  I had to thin these first two planks a bit to maintain symmetry, but I think these are only ones on the whole deck that will need it.  I'll see when I get to other sections, but since I put the coamings in already, I'm planking around them.

 

My plan is to use a 3-butt shift for the planks, but since I'm going around the coamings, some of the butt ends are not possible as they lay inside the coamings.  I think I can maintain the rest of them with some careful planning.  The first butt ends are on the 4th bulwark down, so the first few planks are simpler.  I'm simulating caulking by using a pencil marking on one of the planks, as it's laid.  I do not plan on doing trenails.

 

I'm also nibbing the ends of the planks as they join the nibbling plank.  The first attempt here is poor - I don't have good files, so getting a clean angle in there is difficult.  I'll be looking on-line for a good set of needle files.  Any recommendations would be welcome. 

 

This particular one will be partially hidden by the bowsprit later, and I filled it with sawdust and glue, which should be ok once the glue dries.  But, I like to show places I'm not super happy with, to contrast with areas I think look better.  Still learning!

 

 

[GuntherMT]

 

I'm also nibbing the ends of the planks as they join the nibbling plank.  The first attempt here is poor - I don't have good files, so getting a clean angle in there is difficult.  I'll be looking on-line for a good set of needle files.  Any recommendations would be welcome. 

 

 

 

Warning - "Good" also means "Not cheap".  

 

http://www.amazon.com/Vallorbe/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_8502756011?ie=UTF8&node=8502756011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Vallorbe

 

Good luck.

[AndyMech]

Thanks for the link, I'll look into it.  I've decided to hold off on further nibbing until I can get some better files, so I'll continue instead to lay planks down the center as best I can.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

A quick update on my nibbing technique and results.

 

First, I bought a set 4 diamond files from Trend.  Not as expensive as the jewelers files in the previous post, but not cheap either.  It took a week for them to arrive, so in the meantime I've been planking the inner planks between the coamings.  Not photo yet of that.

 

 

This morning, I nibbed the starboard side - here's a photo comparing the two.  I think the improvement is mostly due to practice, but confidence in the needle file can't hurt.

 

 

Planking will continue - I'll show a more complete photo of the planking in progress after the rest of today's work.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

Making more progress on the nibbing of planks:

 

 

And this is how the ship stands now - planking proceeding:

 

 

Andy

[jcoby]

Glad to see someone else working on the PoB II. She's not a very popular model here for whatever reason. Your build is looking good.

 

One thing you may want to do before finishing the transom is to mount the two eyes that go inboard of the pt/stbd knee for the lines that secure the boom at port. There is absolutely no room to drill them once you get the wales and transom installed. I sure wish I had!

[AndyMech]

Hi jcoby, thanks for that advice - I will need to look on the plans for those 2 eyes.  After deck planking, I was planning on working on the stanchions, bulwarks and railing above the deck.  So, putting these eyes in prior to that makes sense as the deck is wide open right now.

 

I can't imagine doing the deck planking - especially the nibbing work, after the bulwarks are installed - it's hard enough to get a knife at the nibbing plank as it is now, much less if the bulwarks are in the way.

 

 

Andy.

[jcoby]

Hi jcoby, thanks for that advice - I will need to look on the plans for those 2 eyes.  After deck planking, I was planning on working on the stanchions, bulwarks and railing above the deck.  So, putting these eyes in prior to that makes sense as the deck is wide open right now.

 

I can't imagine doing the deck planking - especially the nibbing work, after the bulwarks are installed - it's hard enough to get a knife at the nibbing plank as it is now, much less if the bulwarks are in the way.

 

 

Andy.

 

I approached it the same as you. Hull, coamings, decking, stanchions, bulwarks. I wouldn't do it in any other way. I washed the inside of the hull planking with a 50% solution of white glue and water to shore things up a bit as well.

 

Oh and check the windlass against the plans. Mine was cast quite a bit smaller and the larger deck planks that go under it don't line up perfectly when built to the plans. I put in the larger support planks after decking was completed and I wish I had put them during deck planking.

[AndyMech]

This is a followup to jcoby advice to install the port/starboard eyes for the boom.  I've look at the plans, it seems that those eyes go on the railing and are not at deck level.

 

Here's a photo of the plans:

 

 

There is also a side view on sheet 5 I think that clearly shows them on railing:

 

 

Maybe I'm missing something?  My deck is finished planking - see next post for photos, and before I continue I want to make sure of this if I need to make things easier in the future.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

After a few weeks, I finally finished the deck planking.  Overall, I found it fairly straightforward - there were issues with my deck planks not all being the exact same width, so when planking around the coamings, things got out of sync.  Also, the nibbing notches were consistently difficult - some came out very good, others needed filling or other adjustments.

 

 

 

 

The planks were sanded prior to installation, but not stained.  I used a pencil to mimic the caulking, to reasonable effect.  There are a few uneven planks, but I'm not sure how to fix them - if I sand too aggressively, I'll erase the pencil caulking marks.  Also, a little red paint touch up will be done, likely after staining.

 

Speaking of staining, I'm looking for advice on order and technique - I plan on putting a pre-stain conditioner on first, then use a Minwax oil-based stain.  (Ipswitch Pine, 221)

• Are there issues with gluing the rest of the deck furniture down over an oil based stain?
• Should I apply a wipe-on poly after the staining?
• I need to work the stain around the waterways and coamings - what's the best way to apply it tight spots?  Paintbrush?

I also need to add some thicker deck planks over the windlass section, should I do that before or after staining? - I guess I'm concerned about glue still, but any advice on this is most welcome.  (I feel most of the builders here know this stuff intuitively, but no advice is too small for me - I don't really have any experience with this at all!)

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Andy.

[jcoby]

Sheet 5, detail 5-I (bottom, left side) shows the boom storage eyes and hooks in the outer knees.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the Ipswich Pine stain. It's really light and you won't see it over the red. You can just wipe it off. I think I used the tip of a paper towel to get into tight spots. I also ended up painting the planksheer a few times due to handling. You want to apply wipe-on poly after, yes. I try to do it as soon as a part is done to help prevent it from getting dirt or other stains. I used satin. The deck on the Pride is unfinished so you won't want to use anything shiny. The mahogany and other trim is gloss though. I just used the satin for everything. Gloss just doesn't look right at small scales IMO.

 

As for gluing, you can always sand or scrape the area to accept either wood glue (PVA) or CA.

[AndyMech]

Thanks, I'll check those plans again.  I'll hope to stain this next weekend, so thanks for those tips.

 

Andy.

[texxn5]

Hi Andy, just found your log. Didn't know what you were up to these days. Nice! Hope all is well on your end. Finished my MOogan this year. Looking nice as expected. I'll be following!

John

[AndyMech]

Ok, the deck has been stained - 2 applications of Ipswitch Pine and one of wipe-on poly.  I used a small paintbrush to get into all the small areas and tried to keep the stain off the paint, mostly succeeding.

 

 

You can see in the last picture a contrast between the unfinished hull and the stained/finished deck.  I am seriously thinking of not painting the hull and staining instead.  I know it's a break from the real ship, but it's a temptation after seeing how the deck turned out.  I'll decide later.

 

Andy.

[AndyMech]

Ok, next up in the build will be the bulwarks and the top rail.  The first step in that is to, I think, install the stanchions.

 

I labeled and dry-fitted the starboard stanchions to see what I was up against.  You can see in the photos that they all fit loosely into their slots in the waterways.

 

 

 

My question for folks who have done this successfully, is there a proven technique for setting all these (and there are 29 per side) straight and level?

 

Straight so the bulwarks planking has a nice even run.  Level so the top rail touches each stanchion correctly?  The instructions give a little advice (very little), but I don't trust myself to just eyeball it and get it right.

 

Help!

 

Andy.

Edited April 11, 2016 by AndyMech

[jcoby]

I used a peice of the 1/4" wide strip and cut a notch to clear the planksheer to align the stanchions to the hull profile. This seems to be mostly correct except for the aftmost 4-5 where it needs a bit of tumblehome to align with the transom and transom knees.

 

I have no clue if this is correct or not but my rail seems to match closely to the plans and it looks like the pictures I can find online looking at the bow and stern. Mine came out a bit pointier at the bow comparing to the plans but I honestly don't know if that's due to a drafting error or an error on my part.

[Blue Pilot]

Looking very nice!

[AndyMech]

Thanks for the feedback.  I got a couple of small things accomplished recently.

 

First, I blackened 4 of the small brass eyebolts.  I had used blackening on my previous build with pretty terrible results and I ended up painting the metal black.  This time, it worked so much better.  I used a 2-part water, 1 part Novacan black patina.  Since I was doing only 4 eyebolts, I used 2ml water, 1ml solution.  Before dropping the bolts into the blackening solution, I soaked them in white vinegar and brushed them clean with a toothbrush.

 

The results were great.  The brass blacken to nice dark black in 45 seconds or so.

 

I used CA to glue 2 to the inner knees and 2 to the inside of the outer ones (thanks to jcoby for the tip - these bolts aren't referenced until later in the built, but installing them now is easy since the knees are not yet planked.

 

 

 

Finally, I made some progress in the gluing the railing stanchions.  I cut stiff paper guide, put a pencil mark at 11/32 height (the height of the 5 planks, plus an under-rail plank), and used that to align the stanchions.  I'll do a few at a time, let the glue dry and if I need to adjust, I can inject a little water in there to soften the glue.

 

 

Andy