Bluenose II Build (Artesania Latina) 1:75 by Nomad [Completed Build]

[Nomad]

The first layer of planking is just about done, including a light sanding.



There are still a few nasty little gaps between some of the planks which will receive some filler treatment and further sanding. The AL instructions called for a false keel width of 3mm throughout, which was a bit confusing. The keel width was 4mm to start width, add a further 3mm for the two garboard strakes alongside makes at least 7mm. To reduce that to 3mm seemed excessive, so I got it down to about 5mm and left it there.



I found sanding easiest with sandpaper (240 grit) wrapped around wooden dowels of various diameter to follow the contours of the hull more effectively, and followed up by dragging a single-sided razor blade across the entire surface to remove any other imperfections.

 

[PT-2]

The first layer of planking is just about done, including a light sanding.

View attachment 255145

There are still a few nasty little gaps between some of the planks which will receive some filler treatment and further sanding. The AL instructions called for a false keel width of 3mm throughout, which was a bit confusing. The keel width was 4mm to start width, add a further 3mm for the two garboard strakes alongside makes at least 7mm. To reduce that to 3mm seemed excessive, so I got it down to about 5mm and left it there.

View attachment 255146

I found sanding easiest with sandpaper (180 grit) wrapped around wooden dowels of various diameter to follow the contours of the hull more effectively, and followed up by dragging a single-sided razor blade across the entire surface to remove any other imperfections.

View attachment 255147

Looks like you have a nicely planked hull. Combining sanding and small gaps filling is a melding process that gradually makes the fills blend into the hull overall. If you continue with a painted finish those will vanish to the eyes of most viewers of your final schooner. Oil and transparent finishes don't cover over those filled gaps but if they are small the result may appear to be more of a caulked joint line. Just guessing. Rich

 

[Dean62]

The first layer of planking is just about done, including a light sanding.

View attachment 255145

There are still a few nasty little gaps between some of the planks which will receive some filler treatment and further sanding. The AL instructions called for a false keel width of 3mm throughout, which was a bit confusing. The keel width was 4mm to start width, add a further 3mm for the two garboard strakes alongside makes at least 7mm. To reduce that to 3mm seemed excessive, so I got it down to about 5mm and left it there.

View attachment 255146

I found sanding easiest with sandpaper (240 grit) wrapped around wooden dowels of various diameter to follow the contours of the hull more effectively, and followed up by dragging a single-sided razor blade across the entire surface to remove any other imperfections.

View attachment 255147

A very good start! Well done.

 

[Nomad]

A very good

A very good start! Well done.

Thanks Dean

 

[Peter Voogt]

Hi Mark.
The first layer looks good. And you can take the experience with that layer with you to the 2nd layer.
I don't think that all holes in the 1e layer need to be closed, but the tighter the base, the better the end result will be.
My experience with hull sanding: close your eyes and rub with light pressure with your fingertips. In the longitudinal direction, obliquely and transversely to it. You really feel everything.
Regards, Peter

 

[Nomad]

Looks like you have a nicely planked hull. Combining sanding and small gaps filling is a melding process that gradually makes the fills blend into the hull overall. If you continue with a painted finish those will vanish to the eyes of most viewers of your final schooner. Oil and transparent finishes don't cover over those filled gaps but if they are small the result may appear to be more of a caulked joint line. Just guessing. Rich

Thanks Rich. The kit doesn't call for a painted finish, well not the lower part of the hull at any rate. So any flaws I make in my second layer of planking especially are likely to stand out. I am okay with this though. The flaws might serve as reminders of the many hours spent striving for - but falling short of - perfection, and the many, many lessons learnt for future builds

 

[Nomad]

Hi Mark.
The first layer looks good. And you can take the experience with that layer with you to the 2nd layer.
I don't think that all holes in the 1e layer need to be closed, but the tighter the base, the better the end result will be.
My experience with hull sanding: close your eyes and rub with light pressure with your fingertips. In the longitudinal direction, obliquely and transversely to it. You really feel everything.
Regards, Peter

Thanks Peter. You've turned sanding into something of a spiritual experience . I did try it though and I think you are right; maybe closing your eyes has the effect of heightening your sense of touch? Either way, I still managed to leave a few nasty gaps and holes in the hull

 

[Nomad]

The second layer of planking is now complete. These were essentially thin strips of Sapele wood that could be applied to the hull with carpenter's glue alone, no soaking, heat-bending or nails. The pattern followed similar lines to the initial (Basswood) layer, and although it was easier going than the first layer it did call for some precision to get the plank lengths and angles correct. Not to mention those pesky stealers at the sternpost, which for me were the trickiest and most time-consuming part of the job.



The Sapele layer stops a little short of the bulwarks by a prescribed measurement which I assume to be the waterline. The unfinished hull and bulwarks will be moulded with putty and painted black later on.



Despite all the care and caution with which I approached this second planking phase, I was still apt to let slip the hobby knife or bump the hull against something or other which invaiably led to additional and unwanted patchworking. I can only hope that with time and practice will come greater skill and patience

 

[PT-2]

The second layer of planking is now complete. These were essentially thin strips of Sapele wood that could be applied to the hull with carpenter's glue alone, no soaking, heat-bending or nails. The pattern followed similar lines to the initial (Basswood) layer, and although it was easier going than the first layer it did call for some precision to get the plank lengths and angles correct. Not to mention those pesky stealers at the sternpost, which for me were the trickiest and most time-consuming part of the job.

View attachment 256094

The Sapele layer stops a little short of the bulwarks by a prescribed measurement which I assume to be the waterline. The unfinished hull and bulwarks will be moulded with putty and painted black later on.

View attachment 256095

Despite all the care and caution with which I approached this second planking phase, I was still apt to let slip the hobby knife or bump the hull against something or other which invaiably led to additional and unwanted patchworking. I can only hope that with time and practice will come greater skill and patience

The second layer of planking is now complete. These were essentially thin strips of Sapele wood that could be applied to the hull with carpenter's glue alone, no soaking, heat-bending or nails. The pattern followed similar lines to the initial (Basswood) layer, and although it was easier going than the first layer it did call for some precision to get the plank lengths and angles correct. Not to mention those pesky stealers at the sternpost, which for me were the trickiest and most time-consuming part of the job.

View attachment 256094

The Sapele layer stops a little short of the bulwarks by a prescribed measurement which I assume to be the waterline. The unfinished hull and bulwarks will be moulded with putty and painted black later on.

View attachment 256095

Despite all the care and caution with which I approached this second planking phase, I was still apt to let slip the hobby knife or bump the hull against something or other which invaiably led to additional and unwanted patchworking. I can only hope that with time and practice will come greater skill and patience

Time, Patience, and Practice for me also is an essential part of this hobby. Rich (PT-2)

 

[Dean62]

The second layer of planking is now complete. These were essentially thin strips of Sapele wood that could be applied to the hull with carpenter's glue alone, no soaking, heat-bending or nails. The pattern followed similar lines to the initial (Basswood) layer, and although it was easier going than the first layer it did call for some precision to get the plank lengths and angles correct. Not to mention those pesky stealers at the sternpost, which for me were the trickiest and most time-consuming part of the job.

View attachment 256094

The Sapele layer stops a little short of the bulwarks by a prescribed measurement which I assume to be the waterline. The unfinished hull and bulwarks will be moulded with putty and painted black later on.

View attachment 256095

Despite all the care and caution with which I approached this second planking phase, I was still apt to let slip the hobby knife or bump the hull against something or other which invaiably led to additional and unwanted patchworking. I can only hope that with time and practice will come greater skill and patience

That looks very good. Great job on the second planking! Black next to that dark wood will look great.

 

[Nomad]

That looks very good. Great job on the second planking! Black next to that dark wood will look great.

Thanks Dean

 

[Peter Voogt]

The unfinished hull and bulwarks will be moulded with putty and painted black later on.

That looks very good. Great job on the second planking! Black next to that dark wood will look great.

I agree with Dean: the second layer looks very goods. And for sure in combination with the black bulwarks.
Then I have another good example, for how I will probably treat my hull. Because you will not cover such beautiful wood with paint.
Regards, Peter

 

[Nomad]

I agree with Dean: the second layer looks very goods. And for sure in combination with the black bulwarks.
Then I have another good example, for how I will probably treat my hull. Because you will not cover such beautiful wood with paint.
Regards, Peter

Thanks Peter. Yes, the Artesania Latina instructions seem to keep painting to a minimum. From what I can tell the bulwarks (black on the outside, white on the inside) will get the most of the paintwork for the ship as a whole. The remainder are for some of the smaller items on deck. I must say I do like the look of the raw wood, and will go with that, although it means I can't hide all my mistakes and flaws with a few srokes of a paintbrush

 

[Nomad]

I have been puzzled by the manner in which the two bulwark lengths converge at the bow. The way in which they curve around the foredeck and rise upwards at the prow means there is little chance that they will ever meet properly, making the prospect of creating a 5mm hole to accommodate the bowsprit in that area a bit daunting. Instead, I fashioned a small wooden wedge to hold the two bulwark ends firmly together at the prow, bowsprit ready, and can only hope that this minor modification doesn't come back to haunt me

 

[RDN1954]

One thing that has puzzled me from the outset with the AL kit is the manner in which the two bulwark lengths converge at the prow. The way in which they both curve around the deck and rise upwards at the bow means there is little chance that they will ever meet each other properly. Most of the AL Bluenose II builds I've seen confirm this, many having a gap of a few millimetres between the tips of the bulwarks. And then later in the instructions a hole 5mm wide is called for to accommodate the bowsprit. So a gap of say 4mm must somehow be turned into a circular hole of 5mm in diameter. I might have it all wrong but it seemed all too flimsy to me, especially considering the rigging that will surely rely on a stable bowsprit. So I went against convention and fashioned a small wooden wedge to hold the two bulwark end firmly in position at the prow, in preparation for the bowsprit later on, and can only hope that this minor modification doesn't came back to bite me

View attachment 256478

I don't think it's necessarily going to bite you, instead, I expect it will give you some additional stability, when drilling the hole for the bowsprit.
Happy building!
Johan

 

[Nomad]

I don't think it's necessarily going to bite you, instead, I expect it will give you some additional stability, when drilling the hole for the bowsprit.
Happy building!
Johan

Thanks for the vote of confidence Johan

 

[RDN1954]

I assume you did your own research on plank on bulkhead building, but there's a lot of guides on the internet, there's one called "Simple hull planking techniques for beginners". I don't have personal experience with this guide, but it has some useful information. Of course there's a lot more, but one can easily get lost, not seeing the trees for the forest...

 

[Nomad]

I assume you did your own research on plank on bulkhead building, but there's a lot of guides on the internet, there's one called "Simple hull planking techniques for beginners". I don't have personal experience with this guide, but it has some useful information. Of course there's a lot more, but one can easily get lost, not seeing the trees for the forest...

Thanks for the reference Johan. Yes, I saw that article before but have not yet read it through from cover to cover. I was amazed how much information is out there for ship modelling in general, and also wonder why some of those gems didn't make it into my AL instruction kit . I'm using Frank Mastini's Ship Modelling Simplified as a guide which has been helpful indeed, but ultimately it has been the experiences and images of other build logs and the advice I've received on this site that has been the most helpful of all so far

 

[Nomad]

The keel came in four separate sections and needed a bit of shaping to fit together snugly and to lay flush against the false keel. Similarly, the rudder required sanding to reduce it to the required shape and to fit squarely against the sternpost. Then, just as soon as you have the hull planked, keeled, and varnished, you are required to start making holes in it . The first were two holes to support both ends of the rudder, a small but nerve-racking pin-hole at the very edge of the keel and a larger, angular hole at the base of the sternpost.



I treated this task with the care and precision of a surgical procedure and was relieved when it came together quite tidily in the end. I snipped the head of the brass nail that provided the dowel pin for the rudder and closed the hole with a drop of AC glue, a light sand and a re-varnish.



The next was a 5mm diameter hole at the stem to support the bowsprit later on. I approached this with the same delicacy as the rudder support using a series of drill bits of increasing size to begin the hole, and ending with a strip of 240-grit sandpaper wrapped around a needle file to round it off.

 

[PT-2]

The keel came in four separate sections and needed a bit of shaping to fit together snugly and to lay flush against the false keel. Similarly, the rudder required sanding to reduce it to the required shape and to fit squarely against the sternpost. Then, just as soon as you have the hull planked, keeled, and varnished, you are required to start making holes in it . The first were two holes to support both ends of the rudder, a small but nerve-racking pin-hole at the very edge of the keel and a larger, angular hole at the base of the sternpost.

View attachment 257155

I treated this task with the care and precision of a surgical procedure and was relieved when it came together quite tidely in the end. I snipped the head of the brass nail that provided the dowel pin for the rudder and closed the hole with a drop of super glue, a light sand and a re-varnish.

View attachment 257156

The next was a 5mm diameter hole at the stem to support the bowsprit later on. I approached this with the same delicacy as the rudder support using a series of drill bits of increasing size to begin the hole, and ending with a strip of 240-grit sandpaper wrapped around a needle file to round it off.

View attachment 257157

It looks like your kit does not include the pintles/gudgeons that supported the rudder. You have mounted it well. Rich (PT-2)