Xebec of 1753 - Plank on Bulkhead Kit by Amati in 1/60 Scale - Build by Smithy

[Smithy]

I started the bulwark planking tonight mostly to 'allow' myself to post an update and reply to all of those helpful suggestions. I hate having unanswered documents in my mental in-tray.

However, the first planks above deck level went on fine. I've already glued the next four and I'll affix them another day, just to see if the glue will still work when totally dried. The bulwarks will be three ply when I've finished; there's going to be an inner layer of nice wood as well as an outer one. I have plans to make both blingishly interesting.

I can't do more tonight because I ate a HUGE meal this evening and my stomach is hurting. Must. Lie. Down. If I carry on like this I'll have big hips too!

But first ...write replies.

Gotta be careful working those bulges off because you can lose muscle in the process.

Good advice Bo, if I sand the bulges any more I'll go right through the skin and be carving away flesh and bone, leaving a gaping, gangrenous abscess requiring major surgery. Definitely not the way to enjoy myself in the hobby.

Since there is another layer of planking yet to come, it’s nothing

You are right Nama, it's nothing. It's a fictional ship. There is no standard to work to except my imagination.

a generous coat of body filler won’t fix.

Right again. Body filler won't fix it. The boat has thick hips and the only thing filler can do is make the waist even fatter than the hips. That's not a step in the right direction.

I noticed when I started to plank so managed to overcome the problem with some shimming etc.

I kinda noticed when I was fairing but didn't file down the offending frame enough. I'm now doubting that I transposed the frames as they increase and decrease nicely measured across the beam - I think it's just that bulkhead with the angular corner that I mentioned earlier. It doesn't really matter what the original problem was, the point that you make so well is that I didn't notice in time to make easy adjustments. Mea Culpa.

We all make mistakes and the wise learn to live with the consequences?

I am sure you can hide it a bit.

I have a much better idea than hiding it. I'm going to...

...leave you wondering until later in the build.

Hi Smithy. Yikes.

Not even "Yikes".

It's fictional yeah? (Not one of your 'true stories' ) The bumps in the hull are nothing, nothing I tell you! Not compared to the acres of completely invented deck planking, the gold leafed timberheads, and everything else I'm going to do with this toy boat. Forget accuracy! Think Grand Opera! When it's done, it will look like one of those opera house stage sets than make the audience give a standing ovation the moment the curtains part.

Detach the planking on the frames with the arrows and put an adequate thickness, this is what I would do. Frank

"Striving to better, oft we mar what's well" Shakespeare, King Lear. With another theatrical reference I refute the need to start over.

Think of it as a cost/benefit analysis.

The cost of tearing the planks off and starting again would be a week or two of time, which is nothing really. But, knowing myself well, I can say with certainty that my interest in this project would be terminally wounded by a re-do. The same would happen if I went the body filler route. I'd finish by throwing it away and starting something else. True story!

The benefits of 'fixing' this 'problem' would be minimal. Because I don't care if my hull is imperfect. I'm very pleased not to be cursed with perfectionism in any way. Child bearing hips have never caused me to reject a saucy smile, so I'm not going to start now.

Oh well, I’ll just have to live with it now.

I knew I'd at least implied that it was no big deal to me.

In fact, if you stick around for a few more pages to see how I'm not going to hide it, you'll see that the lumpy hull is a story-telling opportunity rather than a catastrophe.

 

[Namabiiru]

It does, after all, give it a lean, hungry look, suitable to a sea-going predator

 

[Smithy]

It does, after all, give it a lean, hungry look, suitable to a sea-going predator

Indeed. My skin is concave between my ribs too. It's another self portrait.



The four planks I glued up last night have been welded into place as bulwarks. Now I'm looking carefully for it I see how the concavities are made and am mostly avoiding doing it again. Like most things in life, (marriage, quantum mechanics, the perfect bacon sandwich...) wood-welding is a little more complicated than it at first appeared to me.

In the picture you can see the 'flying headboard' dry fitted into the stern. That will need to be solidly attached before the last of the hull planks can be set in place since they run right out there.

All being well, one or two more days on the job should see the first planking stage completed. That will be something of a milestone, I think.

 

[Smithy]

Remember that dull looking deck of 19:14? That was worth fixing.



Just one thin coat of well thinned French polish. Buffed with 0000 steel wool. My new finish of choice.

Goodnight all.

 

[RussF]

I love your attitude Smithy! Always makes me smile - in a good way.

Buffed with 0000 steel wool. My new finish of choice.

Wool gives a great sheen level, but you may want to think about bronze wool. Little particles of the wool will always embed themselves in the grain of the wood (especially the course grained stuff included with many kits), and will eventually rust, making themselves quite evident. Unless, of course, it's never humid in the UK.

 

[Namabiiru]

I love your attitude Smithy! Always makes me smile - in a good way.



Wool gives a great sheen level, but you may want to think about bronze wool. Little particles of the wool will always embed themselves in the grain of the wood (especially the course grained stuff included with many kits), and will eventually rust, making themselves quite evident. Unless, of course, it's never humid in the UK.

I’ve never heard of bronze wool. Where do you get it?

 

[Smithy]

I’ve never heard of bronze wool. Where do you get it?

Statues of sheep.

 

[Smithy]

I love your attitude Smithy! Always makes me smile - in a good way.



Wool gives a great sheen level, but you may want to think about bronze wool. Little particles of the wool will always embed themselves in the grain of the wood (especially the course grained stuff included with many kits), and will eventually rust, making themselves quite evident. Unless, of course, it's never humid in the UK.

I’ve never heard of bronze wool either. Is it sharper than steel? I imagine it would be.

The problem of rusting fragments is a real one. The huge surface area of metal wool makes it very reactive - if you don’t believe that try setting fire to it. In fact, try setting fire to it just for fun! Who knew that steel burns so well.

The standard way to use French polish includes beeswax over the top and of course most of the metal fragments are submerged in the later layers of shellac so there’s not as much exposure to moisture as you might think.

Also my part of Britain isn’t particularly humid. It rains a bit but that’s not the same thing. It’s nowt compared to the Everglades of Texas or the jungles of Arizona.

Mostly though, the reason rust isn’t a problem for me is that I only keep the models for a few months. I gave my Alert away to a neighbour last weekend having finished it in February I think.

I enjoy building them but I find it a bit odd that people want these construction toys of ours to last as long as the grave goods of the Pharaohs. They are rarer than plastic spitfires for sure but still little more intrinsically valuable than ‘decorator’s models’ - at least not the way that I build ‘em. They certainly don’t confer immortality.

My kids are polite enough to tell me my models are good and honest enough to tell me that they don’t want such old fashioned bric-à-brac in their lives, thanks all the same Dad. In fact the guy who did want my Alert is ten years older than me and has a house full of old fashioned crap. And now one more!

I live in a retirement complex and several times a year watch the ‘treasures’ of my late friends being cleared away into the skip/dumpster by their grieving relatives. I just save my kids a bit of trouble.

I follow the teachings of the philosopher B Ferry “It’s finding, not keeping; that’s the measure” (Other teachings are available. Terms and conditions apply.)

(So much for only posting when I have something to show you. On the other hand, I sit here every morning at this time with nothing else to do. )

 

[Smithy]

Here’s a mini update to retrospectively ‘allow’ my earlier posts this morning.

How do you like that colour? It’s a colour never seen in such quantity before the 20th century but doesn’t it look as cool as an iceberg?

Ignore the splashes outboard, they will eventually be panelled over.

 

[Namabiiru]

Also my part of Britain isn’t particularly humid. It rains a bit but that’s not the same thing. It’s nowt compared to the Everglades of Texas or the jungles of Arizona.

Arizona has jungles? Who knew? They must have been hidden behind the mesas...

 

[RussF]

I’ve never heard of bronze wool. Where do you get it?

I’ve never heard of bronze wool either.

Ggle is your friend (sometimes). I can't speak to possible sources in Japan or Britain, but a search here showed Ama$on, H0me Dep0t, R0ckler and a dozen other independents had it for sale. It's obviously a little more pricey than steel, but a little goes a long way for our purposes.

Steel wool is oiled (to prevent rusting in the package), but bronze wool is typically non-oiled. This means that scuffing between coats of lacquer with it will usually not cause fish-eye in the finish.

 

[RussF]

Arizona has jungles? Who knew? They must have been hidden behind the mesas...

Of course it does! Now, let me tell you about a little piece of waterfront property I have for sale along Arizona's coast...

 

[Smithy]

Arizona has jungles? Who knew? They must have been hidden behind the mesas...

They have mines too. Goldy, silvery, IRONY.

 

[Smithy]

The bulwarks are now planked up to the rail of the main deck. The quarterdeck bulwarks can’t be done until the ‘flying transom’ is fitted and that can’t happen until I carve its supports from 2D to 3D.

All is proceeding as planned, no problems are evident on the boat. However, at this ‘end of phase moment’ I must tell you that the tide of my motivation is ebbing. Fortunately, my other modelling project, Faithful Annie, is calling me so I’m going to quit the shipyard temporarily and return to the hangar to bring her to a satisfactory climax. It’s airbrush time!

I’ll be back here when I’m back here so click that watch button and you won’t miss a thing.

Au revoir, mes amis!