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[Mark T]

Hi Jerry and thanks mate     I'm planning on fully planking one side and then sectioning the other side.  Well thats the plan but I'll see how it goes 

[Jerry C]

Sorry mate, forgot you a southerner. WGS = Wednesfield Grammar School.


Jerry C

[Mark T]

Sorry mate, forgot you a southerner. WGS = Wednesfield Grammar School.


Jerry C

 


I managed to get some more done today as my plans changed for the better 


I've now raised frames 16 - 23 towards the stern.  This was pretty much the same as what I have already done and they seem to have gone in nice and straight.  The floor chocks start to rise at frame 20 so there are a lot of bespoke parts to be made and fitted.


Its starting at very long last to look like a hull 











Cheers Mark 

[radiojoe]

The scupture is taking shape, a symphony in wood superb Mark 


Joe.

[Taranis]

If that was my work I'd be reluctant to go to bed just sitting looking in wonder at it.
 

[Mark T]

Hi Joe and Andy and cheers lads.  I only seem to work on what's in front of me to keep it all in manageable pieces.  I've just seen this huge piece of timber that sits between the last stern frame and everything else.  I am guessing that we would call this "dead wood" but its got to fit in a specific space.  I reckon its going to take a few attempts to get it right.  Thanks for the encouragement 

[derekwarner]

Yes Mark.....all of the comments previously made are applicable  ...


[I had never considered the importance, and advantage of a mini-milling M/C for wooden machining]


......& just imagine all of the original fitting of timbers were probably sized with an Adze   


One question is the history of the nautical shipbuilding term of ....."Raising a Frame"


1. was it just a function of lifting a Frame?, or is there more behind this?


2. have you reached the point of consideration to a preservative fluid to the completed timbers?.......[eg., Tongue Oil or such?]


Derek.......watching on 

[Mark T]

Hi Derek


Thats a good question and I have no idea where the term raising frames comes from.  It's just a term that I and others know so there's a challenge for you - find out the origin     I can't even imagine how many tons some of these frames must weigh on some ships.


As for the finish I pretty sure I'm going to use just one coat of very thinned down spirit based polyurethane. In the states it's called "wipe on poly" which can be bought in the UK for one hell of a price.  Its just thinned poly and nothing special.  I like the way these spirit based finishes actually soak into the wood and give it tough surface at the same time.  The Castello wood is just so beautiful it would be a shame to cover it up.


Cheers Mark

[Jerry C]

I’ve stopped using varnish and become a big fan of Danish Oil. Wiped on with a multi fibre cloth. No runs and dries quickly. Ideal for static models. Sorry about the typos in my post last night. When I tried to modify the right hand edge of the writing was hidden so couldn’t correct them and for some reason the letters changed size halfway through. I do proof read.


Jerry C. 

[Baldrick]

Could I suggest you look at using Mylands Lacacote sanding sealer as a finish. It is a shellac thin almost colourless varnish, brushes on leaving no brush marks and does not shine like varnish but gives the wood a warm glow looking exactly as if it were natural unfinished wood waxed and polished . It penetrates the wood and is a soft finish so if you don't like easily sanded off from the surface.


PS. It comes in nice small 250ml plastic bottles and lasts for yonks

[Mark T]

Hi Baldrick - thanks for the tip I'll have a look into that      What ever I use I want a matt finish but I do like the way you have finished your boat.  It looks great!


Jerry I've got Danish oil here at home as we use it on Lorraine's chopping board.  It is really good stuff but way to thick for this build.  Some of the detail that I need to make is tiny so it will need a very thin one hit coat.

[Baldrick]

Hi Mark.


        Thanks but your build is fantastic.  I built a Navy Board style model of Confederacy some few years back. The wood for that was American box, a lovely wood quite erotic to just get a sharp chisel and carve away on it. I did not apply any finish to the wood on that, over the years the box has mellowed a bit and now looks like the NMM ship board models.  If you want to know what your box would look like with Mylands lanacote sealer applied come back to me , I could PM my address and if you send me some off cuts of your timber I will coat them and post them back for you


 cheers balders

[Mark T]

Cheers Baldrick I might just take you up on that kind offer     Mind you I'm a long way off doing it just yet.


I've now finished raising the frames to the stern 


The last 4 frames were not easy to install at all and I had to unglue my first attempt.  I could not get them in vertical and square - All 4 of them sit on a tenon.


So I started installing them the other way around by starting at the transom and working forward and this did the trick.  I'm glad to say that they are vertical and square but I did have a make a couple of small spacers for in between the last frame and the fashion pieces.  Again this was my error in the way I made the mating faces.


A few pictures - cheers Mark

[Mark T]

Just a few pictures of what's starting to look like a ship at last

[DBS88]

Well done Mark that must have been a really special moment when you released the frame from the jig and revealed the true glory of the frame to the day light, your attention to detail is creating another master class.

[Mark T]

Thanks DBS88 and yes it was really nice to actually see the shape of the hull.  Its back in the jig now as it keeps it safe and will also give loads of support when I fair the inside 

[Mark T]

Time to have a go at filling the big hole underneath the transom!!


Firstly I did the usual of cutting templates and gluing them onto the wood making sure that the grain was running in the right direction.  Then just a rough shaping out.








Then I needed to work out the angle between the transom and the last frame which is just under 90 degrees. I don't know how everyone else works out there angles but I use a sliding bevel.  After gluing all of the bits together this allowed me to then sand the top of the piece but I forgot to take a photo??





My next problem was working out how to sand the rear of the piece but at the same time keeping it square to the front face.  In the end I used double sided tape and a metal block which did the trick 





To get the correct shape I used a combination of scribing and taking measurements from the plans.  It had to be a good sliding fit into a tricky shaped hole!





So now that the piece fits I need to roughly shape the outside and then cut out a recess on the inside of the hull.  I suspect that the inside will be the harder of the two jobs.











Cheers Mark 

[Mark T]

Hi All


I've now roughed this block into shape and added a small triangular piece to each side to smooth the transition from it to the sternpost.  I'm not entirely happy with it but its my fault for not thinking forward enough; it will get its final shape when I fair the hull on the outside.











The inside was quite tricky to do simply due to the shape of the piece - it was just difficult to hold 








The next job is a big one     I have to fair the inside of the hull which is going to take a lot of sanding and a long time so please bear with me.  Then I'll be able to make the keelson, stemson and sternson which lock all of the frames together.


Cheers Mark

[Mark T]

Hi All


The inside of the hull is now faired and wow do my fingers and hands hurt from all of the sanding.  I wouldn't mind but I was using blocks too!


It's been a big job and I've stopped at 400 grit paper as I'm sure the inside is going to get a bit knocked about as I move forward.  I'll finish the surface as and when it seems the right thing to do.


It's hard to imagine the effort the original builders put into building their ships.  As much work went into the inside as the outside.


The next job is to start making the keelson - a few pictures below














Cheers Mark 

[Mark T]

Hi All


I've now made a start on the 4 parts of the keelson which started in the usual way of using templates to make the rough shapes





Next I milled out the notches for the frames and the scarf joints








The first part of the keelson that fits over both of the master frames





The keelson fitted and wow does this thing lock into place - in fact I trouble removing it!!!  It really does lock the frames in place








It does need some fettling as its a bit high off of the frames going towards the stem but hopefully I can sort this out with a bit of sanding.


Finally the keelson attached to the stemson





Cheers Mark 

[SailorGreg]

Still watching.  Still delighted by every stage of your build.   

Greg

[Mark T]

Still watching.  Still delighted by every stage of your build.   

Greg

Thanks Greg - its a bit of a challenge to say the least     I'll get there though.  Closing the bow and stern looks very interesting too.

[Mark T]

I've now at last completed the keelson assembly and what a thing it was to make. So many joints on only 4 pieces of wood.


Cutting out the notches on the curved part of the keelson











The 4 completed parts








The 4 parts installed into the ship 








There is a small gap of less than 1mm between the keelson and the frame spacers where it should be touching.  I'm not sure what to do about this yet as this is as good as I can get it.  I'll either leave it as is or maybe make some filler out of PVA and sawdust the Jurys still out on this one.








The next job is to make a small piece to fill this gap between the apron and the first frame





Cheers Mark 

[dougal99]

Looking really good. Wonderful work <1mm gap, what gap? 

[Mark T]

Looking really good. Wonderful work <1mm gap, what gap? 

Cheers mate those parts really took some making and then hours of work to make them actually fit well.  I'm a bit unsure about the gap; I'm worried that I will regret not doing something about it now.  I'll sleep on it and see how I feel - I can't do any more work for a couple of weeks as I've family staying and its great to see them.