USCG Harriet Lane - Model Shipways 1:96 by DocTom

[The Gavel]

Chuck,
That’s right. The lower part of your blue line is where the aft end of the stern knuckles sit.

Tom! I just finished a training exercise and haven't had a chance to get to the shipyard yet. I'll try to refresh myself with the instructions I still have and get back to you in a bit. Even if I can't be helpful, I'll get back to you and let you know that I can't help

Blessings.
Chuck

 

[DocTom]

Thanks. I'm almost certain the knuckles are not concave there.

 

[The Gavel]

Tom! I'l looking at the instrucitons p. 5 Step 5 "Stern knuckle pieces" to p. 6-7 Step 7 "Bulwarks & upper counter."

- I finally see the issue. Tom, I wrote this whole long post and went back to your picture and blew it up. Once I did that I deleted tons of awesome didactic exposition because the blown-up ic showed my eyes, finally, what you are talking about. See giant red arrow.



You are right! - the knucle doesn't follow the line established by that dent. IMHO - and I mean, truly, opinion - fit your knuckle pieces and make nice curves outboard that mirror the pics in the instructions on pp 6 & 7. Once those pieces are in and dry - fill the dent and sand to match the curves of the knuckle pieces.

I hope that helps.

Blessings.
Chuck

 

[DocTom]

But I'm a retired academic - I love "awesome didactic exposition"

 

[DocTom]

Post 8 - Fair is Bow and Bow is Fair

I spent time over the past 3 days fairing Harriet's hull. I first used thin black artist tape (used to make lines on white boards) to make sure the bulkheads were all aligned. It showed I needed to shim Bulkheads 5 and 7 on the port side, and 9 on the starboard side. I glued on 1/32 x 1/8 shims and let them dry overnight. The 5 and 9 shims only needed to go to the horizontal piece A, but 7 had to go to around the curve of the bilge.



Then I started to sand. I took the advice of the instructions and used 100g sandpaper on flexible sanding sticks. I had used 120g on my prior builds. The extra oomph made it easier. I started with the bow and worked my way back.


I used the artist tape to check on my progress after I thought it looked good. I find the tape makes it easier to detect areas that need more refinement, compared to sliding a planking strip along the bulkheads.



I mark areas that needed more work with a pencil:


The only issue with the artist tape is that it isn't very sticky. But you can reuse it to recheck your progress by just holding it against the bulkheads. When I thought I had a fair hull I used 3M masking tape for a final check. Of course you can't assess the very stern because the stern counter isn't installed.



It looks good to me. I will let it marinate overnight and re-assess it in the morning to see if I still am still happy with it, but I think I will be. Overall, I found it easier to fair this hull compared to my last build, the Model Shipways Lobster Smack. The larger size and shape of the hull meant less and more gradual curves.

My plan is to fair the top of the bulkheads to the central spine tomorrow, and then try to wrap my head around the bulkheads. They are the major problem with this kit (in addition to which guns to use and where to place them - plus where the wheel goes).

On that note, I have figured out how to obtain the plans for the Harriet Lane from the Smithsonian Institution. They were created in the 1960s, and are supposedly the basis for this kit. For $15 I'll see if they shed any light on the issues of gun placement and the location of the auxiliary wheel.

Now, to complete my initial quote, it's into "the smog and filthy air" of the Canadian wildfire smoke.