The Donald David, a Maine Lobster Boat, launched 1956

You are absolutely right, Stephen, it's not the first error I made this year. They sort of sneak up on me when I least expect it. The scale is 1/16th, resulting in 3/4 inch = 1 scale foot. The original boat was 34 feet long. Thank for catching that.
Happy Modeling.
Steven
Hi Steven,
I am probably starting to bother you now, sorry for that, but your model at 3/4" = 1 ' would be 25 1/2" long, maybe it was just a typo the 24 1/2" long.

Cheers,
Stephen.
 
I recently made a crude steam box, in which I steamed frames for the planking. I used 1/2" PVC fof the steam chamber with some finish nails inserted through tite holes drilled through the PVC. A pressure cooker provided the steam through plastic tubing. Paper patterns of the various frames were glued to a board and finish nails mounted into the holes drilled along the pattern edges. 10 minutes of steaming proved sufficient for bending to the patterns without splitting. The wood for the frames is 5/64" thick X 3.8" wide and about 5 1/2" to 7" long.
Crude, but very effective.

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Good evening, all. It's been a dire month since I fell in my garage shop and mildly fractured my neck. No surgery needed,, but the neck brace stays in place until March 28; possibly longer.
In the meantime, I am experimenting to find suitable spring-clamps for the gluing of planks to frames. I have two small spring clamps (about 4 or 5 inches overall)
but they have weak springs and therefore not strong enough for clamping planks. The attached photo is of a Bessey clamp that I bought only yo find out it is at least 3 times too big for my needs, but it does have a very strong hohding force. My next approach will be to try reversing closepin springs. Any ideas/suggestions are very welcome.
Happy Modelling.
Steven

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Thanks, Jan.
The 15 piece, 4" long clamps look like they might work well for my needs. Do you have any preference for which ones you use?
I use the 4" quite a bit and also 4 1/2 "plastic ones. I also bought some of the bigger clamps both spring clamps and the plastic ones but never had any occasion to use them. The 100 piece mini clamps are great for minor jobs, but the rubber tips both in the jaws and handles don't last long. I usually get rid of the ones that loose the tips because with out the tips they leave a mark on wet or damp wood. To date this is the best site I've found for camps. Hope this helps.
 
I recently made a crude steam box, in which I steamed frames for the planking. I used 1/2" PVC fof the steam chamber with some finish nails inserted through tite holes drilled through the PVC. A pressure cooker provided the steam through plastic tubing. Paper patterns of the various frames were glued to a board and finish nails mounted into the holes drilled along the pattern edges. 10 minutes of steaming proved sufficient for bending to the patterns without splitting. The wood for the frames is 5/64" thick X 3.8" wide and about 5 1/2" to 7" long.
Crude, but very effective.

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Hi Steve,

Sorry to hear you hurt yourself, good to hear you are on the mend and back to model boat building.

Cheers,
Stephen.
 
Build Log: The Donald David, a 1956 Maine Lobster Boat
May 27, 2019
Greetings from Steven Haskell.
I am finally starting my build log for a scratch-build of a Maine lobster boat. I’m modeling the Donald David, of Steuben, ME, circa 1956. Donald David (the third of three lobster boats) built by William West when I was 10 years old (I am now 73). It was somewhat innovative in that the frames are steam bent white oak, while most lobster boats at that time were still using built-up frames.
I thought i was being smart by typing several pages of script that I would paste into the thread, but it didn't work as I expected, so I have "attached" the document separately.

I hope this is acceptable.
Have a great day!
Hallo @SAHaskell
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
Finally, I now have most of the planking done. Just a couple more to go on each side. Soon I can start on some internal gadgets and on Decking. I have been toying with the idea of fiber glassing (or otherwise covering the planks for better endurance) the hull, below the waterline. Any suggestions, pro or con?
Happy modeling.
Steven

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Thanks, Jan. I have to credit your kind assistance for some of this. Getting started on the planking was a little scary for me, but your help was highly effective.
Lobster boats are high on my favorite list. i’ve always been fascinated by the various shapes.
 
So, I am thinking about putting fiberglass (or some other material) on the planking; just as a precaution to minimize chances of water leaking into the hull over time.. Or, perhaps I could coat the interior of the planking with some kind of sealant. Any comments, ideas, suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Modeling.
Steven
 
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