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My Log (GaryA): The Bounty Build from Plans and Partial Kit from the Lumber yard for Model Shipwrights

  • Thread starter Thread starter GaryA
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Thanks, Grant and Oliver, for the thumbs up for my latest update.
Regards
 
Hi all, I have not done much on the model, although I am making steady progress with the frames.
I have to work between the Extension of the Caravan Port, the model of the Bounty, the Garden, and the golf, so to say I am making steady progress is a fair comment.
However, as I go into the build and break down the monotony of the frames, I have taken a short break to make a sliding table for the Proxxon saw.
What has interested me is how to create the grating on the model accurately. So I had a crack at it after following the methods used by Kevin Kenny, as familiar with the best concepts he uses, as I have applied this method when making up interlocking corners on boxes, etc.
I have cut the first groove using a 1.21mm Proxxon off-the-shelf Carbide blade with 20 teeth on a 50 mm diameter. Then I moved to a new saw blade by Proxxon and of less thickness - .50mm, to slice the thickness of the grating pieces off.
I had, of course, no idea what would happen, as I knew it would not be smooth sailing, as I am dealing with very fine cut grooves, roughened up with a saw blade, and expecting something to happen, and it did! The wood I used was Pinus Pinaster, pine grown in the Southern Hemisphere, but originally from the Northern Hemisphere. It has a common name, Maritime Pine.
Here are the results of my labour, and I need some help to determine what type of wood would be a better wood to use, or what I can do to prevent this from happening.
20251122_104233.jpg
 
Well, all, I looked at the setup and also the spacing of the sawn grooves, and came to the conclusion I was cutting too deep and too narrow.
Take a look at this video to see what I did to resolve the problem.
 
If it works, go for it. Thanks for posting. FWIW I found breakage was a problem doing it this way years ago so went with the old tried and true method I first saw in Bernard Frolich's book, The Art of Ship Modeling. There is no breakage and is accurate in forming the ledges and battens even at the smallest scales we normally see. I'll try to make a sample and photograph the steps along the way and post in the Tricks of the Trade topic here at SoS.
Allan
 
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If it works, go for it. Thanks for posting. FWIW I found breakage was a problem doing it this way years ago so went with the old tried and true method I first saw in Bernard Frolich's book, The Art of Ship Modeling. There is no breakage and it accurate in forming the ledges and battens even at the smallest scales we normally see. I'll try to make a sample and photograph the steps along the way and post in the Tricks of the Trade topic here at SoS.
Allan
Thanks, Allan, that would be great.
 
I just posted a quick series of photos on making gratings. These happen to be 1:64 scale. The last photo is from another model as I had nowhere to put the ones in the other photos which were made merely as a demo.
Allan
 
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So, fellow Shipwrights, I have come up with an explanation that I hope you can all follow. Please be free to comment. BTW, I did the same for AllanKP69's " Tricks of the trade" site. I want to keep a detailed record of the method I use to make the grating on my log as well.
Also, the first 2 pics show the extrusions face up, but I think you are well aware they are lying flat on the saw surface for the saw to cut the grooves mentioned with the explanation.

This grating is at a 1:48 scale. The saw blade cuts the grooves a little wider than the width of the blade, which brings it into cooey of the right size.

Here is the material with the grooves cut....
20251203_185749.jpg


Then I turn the material to 90 degrees to do this cut again, at half the depth and on the grooved side....

20251203_190353.jpg

Note: This again only cut halfway through.


THEN..


I turn the piece over and perform the last cut to produce the Strip.

1764764033238.png

I will add that this is Pinus Pinaster, or commonly known as Maritime Pine in Europe.
I am finding it a challenge, but the more strips I produce, the fewer extrusion problems. BTW, with the right tools, it is quite easy to replace missing extrusion pieces from the strips, but I wait until the whole grating has been made to show you what I do and the tools I have to carry out the repairs.20251203_190739.jpg
Here is the Saw blade I am using on the Proxxon.
You can see the teeth have no angle on them, ideal for making grooves in wood, square at the bottom. This saw blade had to be bought separately, as the new saw only comes with a slitting-type blade.
 
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Back onto the Framing jig again.
After some consideration of how I was going to line up the frames and glue them to the mounting jig, I came to the conclusion that the string line is not the way to go about it. So, having in mind using a "strong back" seemed like a better way to carry out the fixings of the frames, so that all the frames would run on a true and straight centre line. This would involve using no pressure, especially when drilling holes and ensuring good alignment of holes, when joining aluminium strips together. To make this strong back, I needed it to be straight in two directions. Not only straight but also rigid.
The strong back is made out of 25 x 3mm thick flatbar and 25 x 25 x 3mm thick 90-degree angle.

20251226_135628.jpg

The next frame shows that the Strong Back is not sitting down correctly on the plate. The strong back must be sitting flat on the adjustment plate at either end, and the frames must be positioned against the strong back. See the Pic and look for the arrow depicting the gap.
Strong back not sitting Properly .jpg
I am using clamps at each end to hold the strongback in position.
20251226_135723.jpg

Once the strongback is in position, the gantry comes into use. The frame is set at 90 degrees to the frame and locked into the frame's slot position.

20251226_135743.jpg
In my thought process before I made this Strongback, I felt I would not be able to actually fit the frames, as I feel the item specifications call for accuracy, and this would be the only way I could do the frame fitting.
All I have to do now is fit and glue all Frames into position.
Any questions, feel free to ask
 
I found out pretty quickly I did not need to use the gantry to have the frames running square as all I needed to do is clamp the frame vertically after setting with a square. Here is a video showing how easy it was to do using the Strong back:
 
Here is how good the alignment turned out using this method.
20260104_093646.jpg 20260104_094229.jpg

There is one or 2 may be a little out as the wood will flex in the heat, but I'm very happy how the setup worked.
On the second Photo, I have shown two frames out of alignment, which will be fitted when I have fitted the keel
Any comments?
 
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