This is intended to be a log of the final construction of a vintage MS Sultana kit started in the 70's.
Back in the 1970's I started ship modeling. I built a MS Privateer, a fishing schooner half hull from a Chapelle book, and a pinky schooner from plans. There were a few other forays into uncompleted models and I started in on a Model Shipways Sultana.
Moving aboard a sailboat in the 80's brought an end to my modeling and the Sultana hull went into storage. Now, here in 2022 we are back to living ashore and I am in a position where I can start work on her again.
This is pretty much where I am starting from:
Even being retired there seems to be little time for modeling as I am sure others have discovered. My wife (never the Admiral, we have always been co-captains) has health problems so I do the housework, the yard work, the cooking so fatigue is a factor!
I also have spent quite a bit of time setting up my work area and purchasing tools I was never able to put aboard our boat. This included a Unimat 3 (replaced an older sl 1000 I had) a Proxxon circular saw, scroll saw and a 5" sanding disc. I also added a Wild stereo diseccting microscope for various projects including modeling. I worked with microscopes in my employment and get anxious if there is not one nearby ;-)
My first problem is the Sultana's caprails. When I installed them so long ago I knew that sooner or later I would have to deal with the fancy work at the ends of the rails. It is now later :-( I thought I would like the rails to be left natural so the end pieces would need to be wood and I would like them to be scrolls. I think they should be no larger than 2-3 mm to look in scale. I'm sure others could do it but several of my attemps at the job only left little tiny bits of boxwood that looked absolutely nothing like scrolls. Using the lathe the best I have done is to make cylinders with round grooves.Tacked onto the end of some railing and finished they look like: Kinda rough. Where should I go from here?
While thinking about this I decided to try catheads. My first attempt was the bottom one:
The way I seem to work is to make something, it turns out embarrasing to look at and then I throw it away and do it again. So (top one) I tried milling some slots in 4 mm box wood The result is promising but tedious so I am now refining the technique so I can do it without breaking too many end mills.
I have some pumps I'm making and they have their own issues which I will delve into later, hopefully when the issues are solved.
I also have a rudder and hardware coming along that actually looks pretty good..... so far ;-)
Fair Winds
Ed
Back in the 1970's I started ship modeling. I built a MS Privateer, a fishing schooner half hull from a Chapelle book, and a pinky schooner from plans. There were a few other forays into uncompleted models and I started in on a Model Shipways Sultana.
Moving aboard a sailboat in the 80's brought an end to my modeling and the Sultana hull went into storage. Now, here in 2022 we are back to living ashore and I am in a position where I can start work on her again.
This is pretty much where I am starting from:
Even being retired there seems to be little time for modeling as I am sure others have discovered. My wife (never the Admiral, we have always been co-captains) has health problems so I do the housework, the yard work, the cooking so fatigue is a factor!
I also have spent quite a bit of time setting up my work area and purchasing tools I was never able to put aboard our boat. This included a Unimat 3 (replaced an older sl 1000 I had) a Proxxon circular saw, scroll saw and a 5" sanding disc. I also added a Wild stereo diseccting microscope for various projects including modeling. I worked with microscopes in my employment and get anxious if there is not one nearby ;-)
My first problem is the Sultana's caprails. When I installed them so long ago I knew that sooner or later I would have to deal with the fancy work at the ends of the rails. It is now later :-( I thought I would like the rails to be left natural so the end pieces would need to be wood and I would like them to be scrolls. I think they should be no larger than 2-3 mm to look in scale. I'm sure others could do it but several of my attemps at the job only left little tiny bits of boxwood that looked absolutely nothing like scrolls. Using the lathe the best I have done is to make cylinders with round grooves.Tacked onto the end of some railing and finished they look like: Kinda rough. Where should I go from here?
While thinking about this I decided to try catheads. My first attempt was the bottom one:
The way I seem to work is to make something, it turns out embarrasing to look at and then I throw it away and do it again. So (top one) I tried milling some slots in 4 mm box wood The result is promising but tedious so I am now refining the technique so I can do it without breaking too many end mills.
I have some pumps I'm making and they have their own issues which I will delve into later, hopefully when the issues are solved.
I also have a rudder and hardware coming along that actually looks pretty good..... so far ;-)
Fair Winds
Ed
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