And while I’m going to build a cross-sectional model, it is a whole lot easier to build a plank-on-bulkhead version. If you print two sets of the detailed hull schematics or just trace mirrored hull profile drawings you will have a working set of full-model bulkheads. The building order (keelson, main deck, hull and houses) will be slightly different, but consistent with what you’ve already done. So, read the text but change the sequence.

  Mold Overview

  To do what we’ve set out to do, we’re going to start out with a mold of the hull, as usual. This will be like the whaleboat, but with a major difference.

  While the whaleboat mold was a way to trick the wood planks into a shape that would accept the boat’s internal structure, the mold in this case will provide the internal structure that dictates the shape of the ribs and planking.

  As a note of warning: if you’ve been building, fitting and fairing molds as we’ve gone along, you know that the shapes in the drawings can only be approximations. Very close, but not the cigar. If you haven’t been steaming, fitting, building and fairing all along, you probably won’t have the benefit of that experience. In other words, you’re probably screwed.

  For starters, I’m going to include my perpendiculars and various reference lines on a scaled drawing, with one of the original drawings overlaid on my scribbles:

  This drawing is not particularly enlightening, but it should help set the stage for the same drawing without the overlay:

  One thing I think I now know about Mr. Bowes is that he used (after probably making them himself) two very accurate sets of drafting shapes. The first was a complete set of 90-degree triangles set to 3-degree increments- these could have been marked off on a mechanical device, but with the precision that he obviously demanded, it is more likely that this was a set of thin brass templates. He also had a set of compound French curves somewhere in his studio- either that or he was very hard on his draftsman.

  I may be wrong about his tools, but I’m also speculating that he applied the same subtleties found on the hull of the Lenore to all his other designs.

  In any case, the above drawing is to scale in its original form, and if you perform a screen capture and load that image into any one of many free drawing programs you can scale it up or down, and if you prefer a bow-pointing-left-of-page view, you can go ahead and flip anything that floats your boat.

  Tools and Materials

  Every model-building text starts with a tool description. I built my first scratch model using a machinist’s rule, a razor blade and scraps of sandpaper. That model took awhile, and I’ve only added tools that fit what I needed. My advice is to read the text, figure out what tools might be handy, and buy them only if you feel you need them. What comes next is the result of many, many models, including the ones in this series.

  While I started this series of books with a description of a set of tools for each model, the sets began to look very similar, so here are most of the things I use every day. (In order left to right, top to bottom.)

  Scrap Bins- one for short and one for long scraps. Indispensable.

  Cord Box. In this assortment, I have rigging cords that start at .008 all the way up through sewing thread, button thread and 48-pound hemp.

  Clamp Box. In here you’ll find wooden clothespins, adjustable bar clamps, bulldog clamps and paper clamps. Almost hidden in front of that are a couple of ship model planking clamps- I have many more, and they are very handy.

  Sanding Wands. I’ll describe these later. There are also some emery boards, a round, small wand and one scrap of many scraps of sandpaper.

  Micro files. Sharp and broken-off round, plus the normal assortment. Very handy.

  Fences. These are metal rulers, a machinist’s rule and a machinist’s square. All stainless steel, to stand up to the knife blades.

  Loupe. Only handy if your eyesight is as bad as mine and the work is tiny. (It will be tiny as we go along.)

  Glues. CA gel, craft and wood glue. Mandatory.

  Template Bin and wire. All small templates, subassemblies and small parts I’m working with on a given model go in here or they’ll get lost. We won’t be using that much wire or brass rod.

  Pin Board. This once was a piece of foam craft board that now has hat pins and various other pins that I use for marking, gluing, clamping and other things that I forget until I need a specific pin. Stuck into the side are sewing needles of various sizes- there is no logic to explain how they got there.

  Scissors. Any sharp pair will do.

  Step gauge. You can’t see this too well, but this homemade gauge is cut (stepped off) in 1mm increments from 1-5mm. I have another one stepped off in 1/32nds. As you’ll see when we stab-mark and cut thin strips of basswood these make the job simple and repeatable. If I know I’ll be working in large increments like these, this is also how I measure and cut at the same time.

  Tweezers. Large and small, and sooner or later you’ll be filing the tips because they just don’t work right until you do. The tape on a couple of these is to disable the locking feature- sometimes that feature is good, but the spring-loaded pair on the right is usually better.

  Masking tape and Q-tips.

  Rigging needles. I use two types- the “big eye” and the twisted steel beading needle. The beading needles are much easier to use on small diameter threads.

  Saw (draw) blades. Fine (54 teeth per inch) and medium (40 teeth per inch). You’ll need both.

  Blade pack. I rarely use anything but X-ACTO #11 blades and I buy them in bulk. This pack of fifteen might last for years or for weeks.

  Knives. I keep two of them on the table- the one on the left always has a clean, sharp blade, and the one on the right (red paint) always has a used, not-as-sharp blade for applying glue, breaking out pieces, cutting paper, etc. The red one is the one I use when I know that I’m about to wreck a blade somehow.

  French curves and pattern templates. The curves are indispensable.

  Dividers- Map (rough) and student (fine). You can’t transfer or repeat any measurement accurately and repeatedly without them.

  Beeswax. Handy for preventing lint on cotton line, but indispensable for creating a release when gluing.

  Forceps. I also use hemostats, but this is my go-to pair.

  Compass and Angle rule. Both very handy. Both are worthless for tiny angles and tiny circles.

  Hand gouge (chisel). Indispensable for breaking glue joints, I keep this razor-sharp, because it comes in handy as a cutting/punch tool as well.

  Rigging scissors. Cuticle scissors, suture-removal scissors and optical surgical scissors. Each is valuable for a particular rigging task.

  Large toenail clipper. The flatter (or convex) the better.

  Large T-square. For squaring cut card stock. We’ll be using a lot of card stock, and I like to keep my scrap square.

  Calipers. I still use the plastic one for very rough measurements, but a digital caliper spoils you for any other type.

  Miniature linemen’s pliers. Also, a heavy wire/rod cutter. The flat face comes in very handy for breaking pieces away (mistakes) once the glue has set.

  Pin Vises. I use the pair because I usually drill a pilot hole before I drill a finished hole. These have bit storage in the handles, so you can’t see my drill bits. I suggest you start with a standard 20-bit set (#61-80, You’ll quickly discover which ones you break, lose or otherwise need- buy a few of those at a time and store them in a secure place. In my case they’re in the handles- one for 1mm and smaller and the other for larger.

  Oriental (decorative) toothpicks. I forgot to put these on the table, along with bamboo skewers. Indispensable for gluing, making small parts, etc.

  Paint Brushes. I didn’t include my paint brush collection because it might depress you. I’ve cut off handles to make spars, used junk brushes to apply glue, and generally destroyed many of them. And you’ll have to decide what brush material works best for you. I can say that you’ll eventually need brushes down in the 00 range for detail work- in this case buy the best brush you can find. I have about 4 brushes that I care about, and the rest were purchased as sets (and I probably kept one out of every set and wrecked the others).

  The very small tools go into a large tackle box that also contains hundred of little gil-guys, pieces and parts. If it’s very small or very large and isn’t used often it goes there. Everything else goes into a rotating divided hexagonal thing that I found at a garage sale. Whatever it once was, it’s perfect now.

  Let’s discuss the large sanding wands. I make these out of wooden paint stirring sticks (paddles). By applying contact cement to the stick and rough (60 grit) sandpaper to the wide and narrow edge on one side and finer (120 grit sandpaper) to the other two sides I have an easy-to-find tool that is also handy for everyday use. Simply cut a piece of sandpaper to a slightly larger width than the stick, apply contact cement to the paper and the stick and when it’s ready, fold the paper onto the sick. Use a sharp knife to trim the bare edges: this is now a huge emery board and a very accurate straight-surface sander. It will be a great loss if these paddles ever disappear.

  At the extreme, these paddles are made from clear (knot-free) pine. They are very exact, well-made and free, but getting harder to find. (I’m guilt-free because of the small fortune I’ve spent on house paint.) They are very handy for drilling and other experiments- as a matter of fact I think it might be fun to build a complete model from a single paint paddle.)

  Note that the work board I use is about 18”x24” from a piece of scrap ¼ inch balsa-faced plywood (generally available at homestores). It has many holes drilled through it that act as holding dogs, a cutting and clamping fence and has rounded corners. The balsa accepts things like pins and knife blades while the plywood ensures a flat and, when needed, rigid frame. (This board replaced my earlier one that I made from a sheet of birch veneer plywood. On that one I had glued (contact cement) a 1/8th balsa plank in front of the cutting fence. It worked well for about 20 years until I found the balsa-faced plywood.) If you look closely, you’ll see that I’ve covered the area in front of the board with 1/64th aircraft plywood because it has gotten so chewed up.

  A very important feature of any work board is that small cutting and clamping fence. Mine have either 90- or 45-degree angles cut into both ends and they’re the right size for any number of cutting and clamping tasks that require a sturdy brace and guide. (The 90 is on the able. They are screwed-in from the back) The holding dogs (holes) elsewhere on the table are used when the fence is not the right size or shape- dowels or other things can be stuck into the holes to hold odd shapes or an entire model.

  This size fits between the arms of a comfortable chair and goes wherever I feel like working- including outside on a nice day. Also, trying to work at a heavy traffic location like a dining table can be a domestic disaster unless you can move all your work all at once.

  And keep in mind that even the right or most expensive tool might make the job easier, but not better.

  Hull, Internal Trim, Main Deck(1)1/32x 3 x 24 Basswood

  Keel, rudder, etc(1) 1/16x 3x 24 Basswood

  Molded.(1) 1/8 x 2 x 24 Basswood

  Various (1) 1/64x 6 x 8 1/64 Birch (aircraft) plywood

  Upper Deck, various(1) 1/32x 3 x 24 Mahogany

  Rails, Trim(2) 1/32x1/32x24 Mahogany

  Various(1) 1/16x1/8x24 Mahogany

  Stanchions, Etc(1) package .04 (1/32)” styrene rod

  Davits, etc.(1) package .08 (1/16)” styrene rod

  VariousA few oriental (decorative) toothpicks

  Sardine can (empty), disposable aluminum pie plate

  DoorknobsA dozen or so (7 x 8mm).028 x 3/32 x brass nails

  Half-Mold

  Unlike the previous molds, the objective for this model will require a half-mold. The pressure on the structural members will still be temporary, but asymmetrical- one side of the hull, being absent, can’t provide the usual support to its balanced mate.

  You might try (as I did), to use our standard paint paddle as the basic building block for the mold, but you may find that there just isn’t enough material to hold all the pieces and parts as they are formed. So, in this case I’m laying out the mold on a 1/8 x 3 x 15-inch plank.

  Starting with the first drawing, I’m going to overlay an original drawing:

  Based on those dimensions, the drawing that will be the basis for the mold is this one:

  The numbered bulkheads for the mold are notched (the black areas) to accept the three sets of stringers that will provide the skeleton for the ribs. These mold bulkheads are not in the same locations as her actual bulkheads, and while I laid these out to occupy equal fore-aft spacing, I am not going to use all of them. You might want to, so there you have a complete set.

  Mark and cut all the bulkheads using card stock, then mark and cut the bulkheads. I’m using 1/16th basswood, and I’ll be wasting some wood, but I want to be able to fix any bumps or runs in the mold. I can live with the wasted effort and wood. You’ll find it handy to mark and underline the numbers as you go, or you’ll discover, as I did, that Mr. Bowes loved nearly-mirror profiles.

  You will also note that the first drawing in this chapter has a different keel profile than the mold- that’s true because the keel will be formed on the mold after the basic hull profile is cut.

  After the basic hull profile and the blank bulkheads are cut, the entire collection should look something like this:

  Mark the stringer lines from the drawing on the mold. Cut out the notches, and glue the bulkheads to the hull mold. The bottom edges of the bulkheads should line up with the bottom of the mold, and the stringer notches should line up with the lines on the mold.

  Bow, Stem and Keel

  As usual, the bow stem comes next. Like the whaleboat (and pretty much every wooden boat), the bow stem will contain a notch (rabbet) that will accept the forward tips of the stringers. The easiest way to accomplish this is to steam and bend the stem as one piece composed of two sections, and notch only one section.

  The steaming frame is the same one I’ve been using forever (see every earlier model), and I’m using 1/8 x 1/32 strips to build up the stem. After the initial set of strips has dried, remove them, re-steam them, and while they’re still wet, glue the strips to create two separate pieces. The assembly should look like this as the glue is drying:

  I already had a forming jig that was close to the mold profile, but you may need to cut one that is identical to the mold’s bow profile.

  Likewise, fitting the keel (I’m using a 1x8 x ¼ strip) to the mold and bow stem is a matter of holding the stem piece in place over the keel strip and cutting through the stem and keel pieces to create a mirror joint.

  At this point I have drilled bench dog holes into the workboard, and the mold, keel and bow stem are held in place with pegs and wedges.

  The fixed pieces look like this:

  I have started to sand the mold edge down for the top two stringers (but not the bottom). I’ll remove the outer stem section, and continue sanding both the mold and stem inner section until I have a 1/16th or so rabbet so that the forward edge of the inner section will accept the forward tip of the top two sets of stringers.

  The space at bottom of the bow stem between the bulkhead and the outer edge of the stem will be filled with a solid (in my case built-up) piece cut from scrap. The top surface of that piece should line up with the bottom of the lowest notch on bulkhead #1, and the back edge should butt to that bulkhead. This solid piece is intended to both capture the compound curves that Mr. Bowes designed, and to give some support to the skeleton.

  Once the piece has been traced, cut and rough-fitted, give the bow section of the mold and the work table a coating of release (beeswax), and glue the stem pieces together, then glue the stem to the keel. I'm using dots of CA glue, and re-clamping with wedges as I go. When this step is complete, remove the pins holding the mold and the skeleton together.

  The skeleton should look like this:

  This might be the place to point out that as you look at the photo there are three layers of work board: the mold, a small bending workboard, and at the bottom, the workboard. The hole in the upper right of the mold is a peg hole- the mold is being held to the middle board with pegs, and pegs are also being used just below the keel so that wedges will clamp the boat’s frame as we go.

  You should be able to pick up the skeleton and wiggle it as if it were a solid piece of wood. If so, let's proceed.

  Reclamp and glue the stem filler piece to the stem, being careful not to glue any of it to the mold.

  Stringers and Ribs

  The main stringer will be made from a 1/16 x 1/8 strip, and what I’ll call the deck, or upper stringers, from 1.32 x 1/8 strips. (We could have a lot of fun debating wales and sweeps but upper is upper.)

  Once the stringers are steamed, the only major problem is clamping them to the mold. Clamping and gluing these on a bulkhead model is a pretty simple step- on this model we only have air, so the stringers will have to be temporarily clamped to the mold.

 

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