Greetings from the Finger lakes

[MarTay6]

Russ-
Your last line REALLY caught my attention- because I USED to be an avid fingerstyle guitarist- until my tablesaw incident damaged my pinky on my fretting hand-.... I had been cutting blanks out of 4" square cedar for Native American Flutes I"d been building- so the blade was up over 4"- then I needed to cut squares off those strips- and failed to lower the blade down to just over 1.5"- and ran my pinky right along the blade, fracturing one bone- and chipping another! The resulting nerve damage caused me to quit playing for many years... and yes, Classical Gas was one song I learned early on in my playing career!
Ended up trying Ukulele, then discovered textured picks- I never could hold onto a pick to play guitar- and started with Mandolin...
Your heritage on your land is marvelous- and I envy you that! I now live about halfway up the state in Maine- and family pass downs of homes and lands are common here- and I think that is so wonderful- to have that tie to your heritage. I worked online for Wayfair for 6 years after retiring from the Navy and DOD- and one of my teammates lived near Corning- and has 200 acres that has been passed down from Revolutionary War days.
Absolutely awesome!

 

[MarTay6]

I would also second the endorsement of Model Shipways Shipwright Series...I had built a few ship models in the past- when I was younger- my dexterity and eyesight were better (lol) but recent attempts at a few models failed for one reason or another- so I felt I needed to back up to the beginning- and start all over- with the Lowell Grand Banks Dory, which I just recently successfully completed!

 

[RussF]

Welcome aboard from Connecticut!

The family of my best friend in Medical School had a wonderful waterfront house on Seneca lake, which we had a wonderful weekend at. Many good memories.

If I may, I have discovered that boat building has a steep learning curve. May I suggest you peruse this area of the forms.



Beginners Corner - How to Get Started
shipsofscale.com




There is also a treasure trove of videos on you tube to explore.

I usually recommend that you usually start on something much less complex. Here in the USA model expo has a shipwright series of 3 more and more complex models that are fun and give you a good foundation for your major project.


Model Shipways Shipwright Series

There are also excellent build logs of almost any ship you can think of that will help. Model Expo has an offer if you complete the Dory and send a picture of it they will give you full store credit towards your next ship. It is a great deal. Also there are many build logs of all those boats.

We are all here to help each other. I doubt I would have gotten this far without the input of the rest of the crew!

Rob

Thank you Rob! Yes, there are a lot of vacation cottages in the area. We locals often get annoyed at the "cottagers" that swarm the area in the summer. Most are very nice, but there are a lot of entitled ones that seem to think they own the village while they're here. Prices of everything go up because, well, the merchants can get it! The good news is that if you don't like your neighbors, they'll be gone in a week anyway.

I had seriously considered the Shipwright series. I am no stranger to working with wood. From a youngster, I have built things. I particularly love woodturning and for 5 years in the early 2000's, we made a go at turning professionally. Won several awards at some of the craft shows I attended. I also taught turning and was the president of the turning club in Syracuse for over 5 years.

Prior to the Admiral inheriting her childhood home, we had a full shop with 3 lathes set up in our basement. This house is too small and the upkeep of mowing almost 3 acres and tending to our garden has taken a lot of time, but I'm hoping build something once I retire and have a real shop again. The Admiral retired last spring from 45 years of teaching kindergarten and pre-k - I hope to follow in a year or two. Then there will be time - maybe.

The injury in 2018 left my thumb intact (save for a tiny chunk out of the end), took my whole index and half of my pinky. The other two fingers only have about 20% range of motion. I was off work for 5 months. During that time, I built a 3D printer, printed a working, jointed prosthetic finger and printed numerous manipulatives and tools for my occupational therapist that he still uses with his patients today. I also built a deck during our covid furlough. As for small things, I have assembled countless kits fro ROKR and UGears - a working pinball machine, a working phonograph, ball mazes, etc. - all from laser-cut wooden pieces. I have learned how to use tweezers and needle-nose pliers quite well. I built the "Queen Anne's Revenge" metal model as a Christmas present for the owner of the company I work for - her name is Anne"

So, all that rambling aside, I also started the Model Shipways Brig Niagara in the early 2000's, but life got in the way and it was shelved with just the bulkheads on the keel. I plan on completing it, but before tackling all that rigging, I decided that the Oseberg might be a good start. The scale is large enough so that the pieces are not too small and there is far less rigging than on a 3-master. Follow my log and we'll see if my decision was sound.

 

[RussF]

Like you I am a relatively new member. I only have one post to my name but it's a good place to interact with other modelers. Welcome aboard.

Thank you Mikey! I'm looking forward to it.

 

[RussF]

Russ-
Your last line REALLY caught my attention- because I USED to be an avid fingerstyle guitarist- until my tablesaw incident damaged my pinky on my fretting hand-.... I had been cutting blanks out of 4" square cedar for Native American Flutes I"d been building- so the blade was up over 4"- then I needed to cut squares off those strips- and failed to lower the blade down to just over 1.5"- and ran my pinky right along the blade, fracturing one bone- and chipping another! The resulting nerve damage caused me to quit playing for many years... and yes, Classical Gas was one song I learned early on in my playing career!
Ended up trying Ukulele, then discovered textured picks- I never could hold onto a pick to play guitar- and started with Mandolin...
Your heritage on your land is marvelous- and I envy you that! I now live about halfway up the state in Maine- and family pass downs of homes and lands are common here- and I think that is so wonderful- to have that tie to your heritage. I worked online for Wayfair for 6 years after retiring from the Navy and DOD- and one of my teammates lived near Corning- and has 200 acres that has been passed down from Revolutionary War days.
Absolutely awesome!

Ouch. I can certainly relate to the nerve damage. I have very little feeling in the tips of the last two fingers left, but there is a neuroma (small bundle of nerve fibers that recoiled into a ball upon being severed) on the side of my middle finger. Just touching it fells like 1000 volts of electricity. I spent many hours making fists in a bucket of rice to desensitize it. Every once in a while, I still get surprised by the sensation.

I was cutting cabinet doors and drawer heads to size at work on a sliding table saw. They are not conducive to zero-clearance inserts, so there was a gap on either side of the blade. There was a guard over the blade and it was this guard that made the accident much worse than it would have been without it.

The panels came from the veneer press 1/2" oversize. My job was to verify that the engineers hadn't made a mistake on the size, and to cut 1/4" off each side and square them up. This left (subtracting the saw kerf) 1/8" strips that inevitably ended up getting sucked down into the dust collection shroud - at which point I was constantly shutting down and fishing them out, because you never know when they might pop up again.

The guard was just stiff enough that I could suspend it about an inch over the workpiece, but still covering the majority of the blade. I "learned" that as the panel passed the blade, if I just extended my pinkie to put a little pressure on the offcut before it was completely severed, it would just drop onto the table rather than get lodged in the shroud. Some small distraction caused me to extend my finger just a fraction of a second too soon and the rising edge of the blade caught my pinkie. Without the guard, I might have lost just the tip of my pinkie, but the guard kept my hand contained and carried it all the way through. Yes, stupid on my part. I did it, I own it, and I blame no one else. Life's best lessons are those learned the hardest. And to make matters worse, I was known as "Mr. Safety" around the shop for constantly harping on people doing stupid things.

A couple of months ago, while I was lurking on the forum, I saw someone post a hand injury with photos. I thought about replying with pictures of my own, but didn't think it would be a great first introduction to myself. I can post them, but would have to put a "gross" disclaimer at the top.

 

[Rob444]

Thank you Rob! Yes, there are a lot of vacation cottages in the area. We locals often get annoyed at the "cottagers" that swarm the area in the summer. Most are very nice, but there are a lot of entitled ones that seem to think they own the village while they're here. Prices of everything go up because, well, the merchants can get it! The good news is that if you don't like your neighbors, they'll be gone in a week anyway.

I had seriously considered the Shipwright series. I am no stranger to working with wood. From a youngster, I have built things. I particularly love woodturning and for 5 years in the early 2000's, we made a go at turning professionally. Won several awards at some of the craft shows I attended. I also taught turning and was the president of the turning club in Syracuse for over 5 years.

Prior to the Admiral inheriting her childhood home, we had a full shop with 3 lathes set up in our basement. This house is too small and the upkeep of mowing almost 3 acres and tending to our garden has taken a lot of time, but I'm hoping build something once I retire and have a real shop again. The Admiral retired last spring from 45 years of teaching kindergarten and pre-k - I hope to follow in a year or two. Then there will be time - maybe.

The injury in 2018 left my thumb intact (save for a tiny chunk out of the end), took my whole index and half of my pinky. The other two fingers only have about 20% range of motion. I was off work for 5 months. During that time, I built a 3D printer, printed a working, jointed prosthetic finger and printed numerous manipulatives and tools for my occupational therapist that he still uses with his patients today. I also built a deck during our covid furlough. As for small things, I have assembled countless kits fro ROKR and UGears - a working pinball machine, a working phonograph, ball mazes, etc. - all from laser-cut wooden pieces. I have learned how to use tweezers and needle-nose pliers quite well. I built the "Queen Anne's Revenge" metal model as a Christmas present for the owner of the company I work for - her name is Anne"

So, all that rambling aside, I also started the Model Shipways Brig Niagara in the early 2000's, but life got in the way and it was shelved with just the bulkheads on the keel. I plan on completing it, but before tackling all that rigging, I decided that the Oseberg might be a good start. The scale is large enough so that the pieces are not too small and there is far less rigging than on a 3-master. Follow my log and we'll see if my decision was sound.


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You did an amazing job on that ship! I look forward to following you on your build log!

Rob

 

[RussF]

You did an amazing job on that ship! I look forward to following you on your build log!

Rob

Thank you, it was definitely an exercise in patience!

 

[Magic Mike]

Welcome Russ to the forums! My best friend Capt. Dion Johnson has had a summer home on Keuka Lake since his childhood. My wife and I have vacationed at his place several times. Greetings from Texas! Magic Mike

 

[paul ron]

hows the snow up there? a friend in rochester says its light this year... hahahaha compared to tunneling of past years? he once told me you can tell its spring when you can see the antler tips above the snow.

i enjoy playing guitar, even had a band in the 60s n 70s. but after not playing for a long time i forgot alot of stuff n can only play the 3 chord blues n a few hendrix songs... maybe a jethro tull aqua lung. as for guitar picks... fender thins seemed to be the most comfortable for me... i also used super slinkies.

i got a ukulele a few years ago. gotta say, no matter what you play, it sounds great. cant do duh bluez or jimmi, but its a fun strummer. btw, i use a felt pick on the uke.

 

[RussF]

Welcome Russ to the forums! My best friend Capt. Dion Johnson has had a summer home on Keuka Lake since his childhood. My wife and I have vacationed at his place several times. Greetings from Texas! Magic Mike

We live on Keuka. Check the banner on my profile to see a sunset from our front yard.

In a former life, I spent plenty of time in Texas - Lubbock for 6 months, Snyder for a couple of years and Houston (Bellaire) for about 8 years. Houston was fun, but got kind of tired of the traffic, the crime and the two seasons - January and Summer. Our Christmas Eve tradition was to ride around the neighborhood to look at the lights ... on our bikes. Winters here can be a little brutal, especially with the prevailing westerly wind blowing right across the lake at us, but the other seasons are great! I'm glad you've had the opportunity to spend some time here. If you come back, you must look me up!

 

[Corsair]

hows the snow up there? a friend in rochester says its light this year... hahahaha compared to tunneling of past years? he once told me you can tell its spring when you can see the antler tips above the snow.

i enjoy playing guitar, even had a band in the 60s n 70s. but after not playing for a long time i forgot alot of stuff n can only play the 3 chord blues n a few hendrix songs... maybe a jethro tull aqua lung. as for guitar picks... fender thins seemed to be the most comfortable for me... i also used super slinkies.

i got a ukulele a few years ago. gotta say, no matter what you play, it sounds great. cant do duh bluez or jimmi, but its a fun strummer. btw, i use a felt pick on the uke.

Stairway to Heaven is a riot on the Uke. LOL I have a baritone Uke

 

[RussF]

hows the snow up there? a friend in rochester says its light this year... hahahaha compared to tunneling of past years? he once told me you can tell its spring when you can see the antler tips above the snow.

i enjoy playing guitar, even had a band in the 60s n 70s. but after not playing for a long time i forgot alot of stuff n can only play the 3 chord blues n a few hendrix songs... maybe a jethro tull aqua lung. as for guitar picks... fender thins seemed to be the most comfortable for me... i also used super slinkies.

i got a ukulele a few years ago. gotta say, no matter what you play, it sounds great. cant do duh bluez or jimmi, but its a fun strummer. btw, i use a felt pick on the uke.

We haven't had to get the snowblower out yet. Last year once, I think, nothing the year before. Growing up here, the Admiral remembers tunneling. I'm just glad that climate change is a hoax (tongue firmly in cheek). Snow can be fickle here, though because we seldom get wide area snows - they are usually driven by lake effect off the great lakes. I've seen a five-mile wide strip that received two feet, but directly outside of that, you could still see the grass.

The problem I have with guitar picks after my accident is that while I have recovered enough strength to grip them between my thumb and middle finger, I no longer have the sensitivity to tell when it has shifted or dislodged. I need to go to a large guitar store and just try a bunch of thumb picks to try and find one that will stay on (with support with the other finger), but also comes out at a natural angle like a standard pick would. I'm sure they make them, but most that I've seen, the pick part comes straight out from the side of your thumb. I need one more at a 45 deg. angle.

 

[Corsair]

We haven't had to get the snowblower out yet. Last year once, I think, nothing the year before. Growing up here, the Admiral remembers tunneling. I'm just glad that climate change is a hoax (tongue firmly in cheek). Snow can be fickle here, though because we seldom get wide area snows - they are usually driven by lake effect off the great lakes. I've seen a five-mile wide strip that received two feet, but directly outside of that, you could still see the grass.

The problem I have with guitar picks after my accident is that while I have recovered enough strength to grip them between my thumb and middle finger, I no longer have the sensitivity to tell when it has shifted or dislodged. I need to go to a large guitar store and just try a bunch of thumb picks to try and find one that will stay on (with support with the other finger), but also comes out at a natural angle like a standard pick would. I'm sure they make them, but most that I've seen, the pick part comes straight out from the side of your thumb. I need one more at a 45 deg. angle.

among many other picks that I have, I have a large triangular pick that is easier to hold on to. Have you tried one? You might check one out next time you look at picks if you haven't.

 

[MisterCA]

Hi

 

[RussF]

Hi

Hi back.