Santa Maria

[GrantTyler]

Odd jobs. The blocks are pretty good, but need staining. They come in little grip top bags, so that's handy. L to R - dark oak (deadeyes), walnut and light teak (oil based) -

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Washed off with thinners. I even made a container (is my OCD showing?) to foil the workshop gremlins -

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The longboats are white metal castings. Some clean-up necessary, but the definition is pretty good, so I will just spray them white. There needs to be a deck, so I made a card template ' -

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Planking glued to the card -

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Interiors painted, deck stained, gunwales roughly bent to shape -

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Gunwales and thwarts (seats) fitted -

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Oars and mast -

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Stands and accessories fitted on the boats -

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This is where they go on the deck -

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Chain plates. A length of pin (to be cut to length) will secure them into the hull -

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Fitted, plus some triangular strengtheners-

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The hull so far -

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I have painted the external parts for the stern -

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...but I don't like them, they are just too 'blingy'. These will be consigned to the 'might come in handy' box and I will go with some much simpler windows as per the full scale sailing reproduction.

Very very cool boats Graham.

 

[Graham]

Very very cool boats Graham.

Cheers, Grant.

 

[Graham]

Rails around the fore and aft decks.
There is a curvature to these which necessitates bending some strip across the grain. I made some templates before fitting these decks and used them to make a jig using panel pins to form a profile -



Strips were then soaked in boiling water for 3 minutes and bent to the pins. The fore deck has a steeper profile and kept popping up, so strips were stapled across to keep them flat -



I spent ten minutes on them with a hair dryer (don't tell the boss) to try and get a set in the shape before releasing them. Eight strips made in total - tops and bottoms. I think it went okay -



While things were drying I made the rudder. Four pieces of 5 x 5mm are laminated. I stuck on the drawing from the plans as a template to help form the shape -



There is not enough strip to make a complete rudder from teak, so I
used what was still available in the box. No problem I will paint it -



It may be that I used the teak strip in error when I made the longboat stands, but I double checked and the instructions aren't clear on what to use. Anyway, I gave up on the instructions a while ago!
Ever onward!

 

[Graham]

Rails on the fore and aft deck.
Posts are 3mm stock. Brass pin in the base to aid positioning -



Dry fit -





On we go with the top rail. Clamps are sewing clips, small but strong-





Using spacers for the second rail -



The instructions call for the sides of the foredeck to be planked, but I prefer the look of the sailing reproduction and so have gone that way.

 

[dockattner]

I agree, the open railings fit the feel of this little ship. Well played, Graham!

 

[Graham]

That's the railings finished -

 

[Graham]

Time to do the gunwales.
Back on the bending board. This is 1 x 5mm strip, so it is putting up a bit of a fight to bend it across the grain to a template of the hull curvature -



While the actual straps are soaking/bending/drying numerous times I did a trial bend with a piece of 1 x 4mm to get an idea of the curvatures -



First pieces, with lots of soaking and work with the heated planking iron -



Second pieces -



Fitted, stained and lacquered -



It doesn't look like much for a full day's work! However, slow and steady is the way with plenty of soaking prior to heating and gently coaxing an increasing bend in the strips; rush it and they will split - and I only had two lengths of 1 x 5mm stock to play with.

Chain plates are next.

 

[GrantTyler]

Time to do the gunwales.
Back on the bending board. This is 1 x 5mm strip, so it is putting up a bit of a fight to bend it across the grain to a template of the hull curvature -

View attachment 586653

While the actual straps are soaking/bending/drying numerous times I did a trial bend with a piece of 1 x 4mm to get an idea of the curvatures -

View attachment 586654

First pieces, with lots of soaking and work with the heated planking iron -

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Second pieces -

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Fitted, stained and lacquered -

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It doesn't look like much for a full day's work! However, slow and steady is the way with plenty of soaking prior to heating and gently coaxing an increasing bend in the strips; rush it and they will split - and I only had two lengths of 1 x 5mm stock to play with.

Chain plates are next.

Good morning Graham. Slow and steady made for a perfect snug fit. Excellent. Cheers Grant

 

[Graham]

Thank you, Grant. I think 1x5mm strip is the maximum without a proper steamer box setup. With a nail board, pan of boiling water, a hot iron and the Boss's hairdryer I was like some kind of mad scientist yesterday!
Keep well.