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I need help!

C

czarroman

Joined
Feb 20, 2025
Messages
10
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Hi all,
This is my 3rd build.
I am building the Nikitin Captain John Smith Shallop. I am assembling the skeleton. Most of the ribs are in place and glued but as you can see in the pictures the last few will not fit into the frame to be glued. I have broken a few ribs already by pressing and gluing them onto the frame.

I don’t know how to proceed.
Should I make more cutouts in the frame for the ribs?
Should I unglue the ribs and fit them in the frame and then glue?
Thoughts?
I have seen a few videos on YouTube and placing the ribs look so effortless on them. It is certainly not for me!
Thanks for your help in advance.
MarkIMG_0082.jpegIMG_0083.jpegIMG_0084.jpeg
 
dockattner said:
I literally hate it when I see comments like this. The gentleman is asking for assistance. Find another forum @MThomas.
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Sorry, but I see something wrong here. Kinda looks like a troll. when is the last time you saw the face of factory kit parts come out like that? He ruffed those parts up, intentionally! He's after a reaction from folks!
 
I am truly asking for help. The close-up photos of the ribs are probably magnified quite a bit and that’s why it looks so rough. If you look at the long shot of all the ribs, you can see it looks pretty normal.

If anyone has any thoughts on how to help me, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Mark
 
Why did you sand the 'entire' face of your frames with such coarse sandpaper? I'll help if I can, but I'm really curious about the true intent of your post at this point...???
 
David, look in the background of his first photo. You'll see what material. Can't remember the name, but it is basically particle-board.
 
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Mark,
I think I see the problem. When you glued the frames together, did you do so over the plans, for a template... or did you just glue them together without using any template/reference to ensure that the geometry was indeed proper? What type of glue did you use?
 
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For my two cents, Youtube videos can be are extremely decieving when showing builds. Often, it's editing that hiding a lot of hours or prepping steps that most viewers aren't interested in seeing.

I have very limited experience with wooden kits, but from what I've experienced, the pieces aren't always cut exactly, requiring that you do some additional shaping with either a hobby knife or (my preferred method) sanding. @MThomas made a good point with the templates. If they are provided, it's usually because you need to double check that the geometry lines up well in case of manufacturing errors.
 
Sorry. But I suggest, major surgery. There are three contact points to align the ribs; the keel, the lower row of notches, and the upper row. I’m assuming that this building jig was provided by the kit manufacturer.

It is essential that each frame is attached to the keel and at the same time fully engages both the respective upper and lower notch. Looking at your first photo, it appears that in your case this has not happened; not only for the cant frames but also for the square frames. When you try to plank the planking will not lay against the frames forming fair (smooth) curves.

What to do? If you used a PVA glue like Titebond denatured alcohol will dissolve it. The best is that sold for camp stove fuel. Acetone I believe will dissolve CA glue. Completely disassemble the model. I would clamp the three frame segments together and offer the dry fitted frame to the correct set of notches in the jig. Move the segments until they fit into the notches as intended then glue.

Roger
 
That looks like some severe water swelling on the face of all of the frame pieces. I saw a kit review at MSW and none of the wood species listed should look even part way to being that bad. Whatever your did, do not no it again!? OK?
Debond the lot. Sand the surfaces. 120-150 then 220-240. No finer. It turns the wood surface to be glass smooth. PVA does not bond well to glass.
Use top plane of your vise at the line and properly shape the notches for the clinker planking. Just close enough is not good enough.

"Should I unglue the ribs and fit them in the frame and then glue?"

The reason for the frame shape jig is because as PVA polymerizes (cures- dries) the tops of the frames will contract inward. Not all frames move the same and how much is not predictable. Just a clamp at scarph from the outside will not stop the contraction. You do not want to glue the frame to the jig. Apply the PVA and put the pieces together. Wipe any squeeze out. Fit in the jig and apply your clamps. Leave them alone. Once the PVA bonding reaction is complete, the tops remain where they are supposed to be.

I have to do the same "fix in place until the bond cures" process. I spot Duco the frame pattern to a piece of 1/8" Sandeply and use 1.75" steel quilting pins to freeze the frame shape. the pins are long enough to allow special 2" C-clamps to be used.
2inch flat floor C clamps_converted.jpg I removed the way too big silver disc/rubber layer pad. Peel the rubber off and remove the retaining ring holding the disc. I use scrap and cut off wood as pads. It gives control over the clamping surface area. CutRight wax paper is my friend that keeps PVA from going any extra bonding.

Acetone allows the same Sandeply board to be used over and over.

I have "tabs" outside the body of the frame for the pins.
 
MThomas said:
David, look in the background of his first photo. You'll see what material. Can't remember the name, but it is basically particle-board.
Click to expand...
MThomas said:
Mark,
I think I see the problem. When you glued the frames together, did you do so over the plans, for a template... or did you just glue them together without using any template/reference to ensure that the geometry was indeed proper? What type of glue did you use?
Click to expand...

The material in the background is MDF, not particleboard - big difference. Those sheets are also NOT the sheets that the frames came from - they are the jigs that are used to assemble the frames in, so there should be no need to assemble over plans, they should fit right into the jig - assuming that the correct frame numbers were assembled in the correct jig. Looking at @Kramer 's log, you can see how the frames should fit. Something is definitely wrong here, ad I'm guessing it may be that the frames were not assembled correctly in the jigs - or the wrong parts were used. Disassembly looks like the only option to fix it. And perhaps get some finer grits of sandpaper - 240 & 320.
 
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czarroman said:
I am truly asking for help. The close-up photos of the ribs are probably magnified quite a bit and that’s why it looks so rough.
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Don't give up! I agree the pieces out of the box look pretty bad so maybe fight through it, but look at good quality kits for the next go 'round. I found the following photos of the same kit from 3 1/2 years ago posted by a "friend" of the manufacturer and there appears to be a world of difference with the advertised photos and what they are actually selling, if your kit is a typical example.
Allan

1764168285016.png
1764168479368.png
 
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