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To get that far in a month, you must be wearing seven league boots.
To get that far in a month, you must be wearing seven league boots.
Ha! Not all that fast really. When I lived up North, I had a pair of five buckle arctics!
True story Daniel .At this stage tho it’s one frame at a time
. I have 3 more left to “de char” for my Enterprise Daniel so it seems to take for ever but then it’s suddenly done. Dremel and dust… must be fun or we wouldn’t do it, right
. Cheers Grant
Most definitely Grant. There is something about building a fairly stout structure out of sticks that is very rewarding. Even though the char is a pain in the butt, it does serve as a sanding guide along with the fairing lines.Dremel and dust… must be fun or we wouldn’t do it, right
The Dremel is definitely your friend!Not nearly as boring, tedious, or mind numbing as one might think.
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Finish with a file. I was able to skip sanding because a good file will leave a very smooth surface. Plus you will most likely do a little fairing when she’s all together anyway.
Yea I have been considering purchase of high end files. I own a cheap set and an intermediate set, both mostly unsatisfactory.
Dean62 said:
A good file will leave a very smooth surface.
I’d just like to expand a bit on what Dean mentioned in his posts and your reply. While a quality set of files is definitely important, smoothness on the surface isn’t guaranteed unless you're using the right cut or grade for the task. Even a top-tier file like a Vallorbe (Swiss-made) won’t yield a smooth finish if you’re using a coarse or double-cut file where a single-cut one is needed. It's all about matching the tool to the job.
The cuts or grades on sanding files (also called teeth or file patterns) have a big effect on how they treat a surface, especially on delicate model ship hulls. Here's a quick breakdown:
Single Cut:
Hope this clarifies and helps
A good file will leave a very smooth surface.
I’d just like to expand a bit on what Dean mentioned in his posts and your reply. While a quality set of files is definitely important, smoothness on the surface isn’t guaranteed unless you're using the right cut or grade for the task. Even a top-tier file like a Vallorbe (Swiss-made) won’t yield a smooth finish if you’re using a coarse or double-cut file where a single-cut one is needed. It's all about matching the tool to the job.
The cuts or grades on sanding files (also called teeth or file patterns) have a big effect on how they treat a surface, especially on delicate model ship hulls. Here's a quick breakdown:
Single Cut:
- Appearance: One set of parallel grooves.
- Effect: Smoothest cutting; removes material slowly.
- Best For: Fine finishing, fairing subtle curves, final smoothing before planking or painting.
- Appearance: Crisscross pattern with two sets of grooves.
- Effect: More aggressive; removes material faster.
- Best For: Shaping rough surfaces, reducing high spots, or working on hardwood frames/bulkheads.
- Appearance: Individual, raised teeth (more common on coarse files or rasps).
- Effect: Very aggressive; can tear up soft wood or delicate edges.
- Best For: Initial rough shaping, not typically recommended for model work unless you're sculpting.
- Appearance: Uniform texture, often used in metal, but good for wood too.
- Effect: Consistent, precise cut. Great for detail work or touch-ups in small spots.
- Best For: Deck grooves, rabbet lines, tight curves, or even deadwood shaping
Hope this clarifies and helps
Great info!
I normally use Diamond files, except when I’m fairing the hull, then I use a smooth cut file. It’s a little slower, but I don’t have to worry about taking too much off and it yields a nice finish, that if being planked doesn’t need any sanding. The glue actually holds better on a filed surface than on a sanded surface. Something else to consider as well is adhesion if it’s a bond surface.
Thats great information Jim, thank you. I knew that you could get files at different levels of smoothness but had no more knowledge than that. Now I know what to look for. Another interesting idea I came across was ultrasonic cleaning of my files. I just have happened to purchase a decent one to clean up my airbrushes and it worked great on my older files. I always use a toothbrush for clearing the grooves as needed but this ultrasonic really cleaned out the grooves.
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Having the fairing lines scribed in as a guide by the kit maker is a real plus. Having to guess at it is always frustrating. Even the pre- scribed lines are, at best, only a guide. Every different set of hands assembling a model will add up to their own inevitable compilation of error creep.
I found fairing a hull always requires some serious eyeball and adjustment.
I found fairing a hull always requires some serious eyeball and adjustment.
I made a decision a while back to of course fully plank the port side but on the starboard side in lieu of total exposed ribs I will fashion a large window of sorts focusing on the mid-section only. I will still end up sanding out a finish to the fairing process.
Indeed, it does Peter.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
What is the old saying, "you get what your pay for"
Allright, I just ordered a set of 6 Grobet files Cut 2.
Nice pick. Those will serve you in the long run.