Thursday October 30, 2014

As I wrote Wednesday I finished leveling the remaining toptimbers aft. Using the belt sander it was resolved quickly and effortlessly. Below a couple of pictures as documentation of what has been done. .

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100059_zps2b132962.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100058_zpsd96aa7fd.jpg


So Thursday I started to do something new, and the choice of what to do was to focus on the building of the deck, leaving pending, for the moment, the planking of the exterior sides of the hull.

The reason of this choice, which could be interpreted a bit twisted, is linked to the way in which the deck planking is applied. Let me explain better.
So far in all the models that I made, the planking of the decks was made ​​up of straight planks not tapered, so that its implementation was relatively simple: you only needed a good deal of patience and precision and the result was assured.
But in this brick model the deck planks are not installed right but curved and tapered at the two ends of the ship.

The following illustration probably explains better the difference than a thousand words:

03 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/DeckPlanking_zpsdf503266.jpg


So for me, this technique is considered to be a totally new experience and usually in these cases, due to my nature, I tend to proceed very carefully . .

Initially my idea was to apply the deck planks directly on the bulkheads, with tapered planks having a thickness of two millimeters apart from a small number of them, are located in the central part of the deck, with a greater thickness.
A have some ideas on how to proceed but, just to avoid possible unplanned problems, I finally decided to forget the original idea and build the deck with two layers of wood:
a) an underlying base, directly fixed to the bulkheads, made of plywood (of 1-1,5mm thickness) in order to completely close the deck and assure a uniform base on which
b) to lay the second layer, based on tapered planks of suitable thickness.

Consistently with this choice, I worked all afternoon to draw and cut out the inner profile of the deck. To realise these pieces, that must be considered as accurate templates from which derive the final plywood deck base, I used some unused poplar plywood, 4 millimeter thick.

Below you can see the templates, four for my comfortable working, obtained after continuous adjustments before getting the most accurate shape of the deck.

04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100057_zps79c9a952.jpg


Finally, I put together the four pieces with some adhesive tape in order to obtain only two pieces, the half-bridges for the bow and stern. Now I just have to get plywood of the proper thickness, cut it according to these templates and apply it on the bulkheads, but I have to go to a hobby store and buy it.

05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100060_zps4dcb2d4a.jpg


Maybe, before I'll start to install the planks on the real deck, I think to do a bit of experience installing the planks on these templates . . make a small prototyping usually helps to gain experience. . and to avoid stupid mistakes.

I'll continue in the next message. . Jack.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Friday I managed successfully to buy at the last minute some birch plywood with a thickness of 2 mm at a hobbymodel shop.

I would have preferred a thickness of 1.5 mm, but was not available . . . today here in Italy these shops are increasingly focused on helicopters, drones, remote-controlled cars and its accessories while the offer that interests our hobby becomes increasingly scarce. . normally you find kits and few other.

However, despite having to take into account the impact ot this unplanned thickness on the internal height of the bulwarks (at the proper time I'll fix this matter), Saturday I cut out from the templates the two pieces that form the first layer of the deck and, after some unavoidable adjustements I proceeded to install them permanently with glue and brass nails.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/7edd1c35-8e95-447c-9674-f8e70a09d259_zpsf5f85ed2.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100071_zps60297ed7.jpg


After a couple of hours, with the glue virtually dry, I proceeded to grind the heads of the brass nails (.. then I discovered that they were of gilded iron ..) with the minidrill and the correct tool. Now everything is ready for the installation of the final deck planking . .

03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100065_zps22acac08.jpg


04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100066U_zps5456a5b9.jpg


However, before proceeding with the deck planking I need to get hold of the suitable material and especially I need to finalize a method for applying the tapered and folded planks as I explained some message ago. I also have to choose the wood to use: I would like a pretty clear coloured wood, but not overly, and according to this choice I could use material already in my possession or try to purchase it somewhere. .

Greetings to all, Jack.

Hi Jack

Really neat work on your build. Keep those pics coming.

Regards

Foz

Thanks Foz, thanks Eugene.

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Yesterday I spent some time visiting two model shops looking for some wood strips suitable for planking the deck.
In the first shop I found the usual walnut, mahogany and lime; in addition I found beechwood.
In the second I found the same woods but, when I was loosing hope, I discovered in a corner some unusual strips and I was told it is OAK: the colour is perfect neither dark nor clear and also the size is right (2 x 6mm ). I bought all the strips stock and I have decided to use this wood to plank the deck of my brick . . .

Regards, Jack.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Today it's more than ten days that I do not add anything to this topic.

As I said in an exchange of SMS messages with my friend Shark, unfortunately between fall and winter I feel in a insane way the arrival of the cold season, and if in addition it's also raining, I became meteorologically addicted to the highest level.

So, given the incredibly bad weather that happened in Italy during these past days, I was not really able to find any will to do something against this model.

Only yesterday, with the return of a better weather, I started to do something.

Before the bad weather I successfully bevelled the bulkheads on the right side to setup as usual the classical bevel angle; there is still the left side missing.
Given that the hull is now crushproof, yesterday I decided to apply three strakes downwards on the ready-to-go side and this afternoon I installed other three of them.

There are no photos, but now it's time to do the same on the left side . . first I have to bevel the bulkheads to continue . .

Sincerely, Jack.

Jack

Coming along a real treat. Absolutely love the look of the planking. It's so neat and tidy.

jase wrote:

Nice looking planking. Will be following your deck planking with interest

Ps if you stopped modeling in the UK when it rained you would never do anything

Hi jase, I like a lot your second sentence . . here in Italy we are used to a better weather and the "meteorological disease" is quite widely spread . .
And probably now it is coming back since the weather is changing to bad.
I probably need the proper vaccination.
Anyway I'll do my best to fight against this "disease" and arrive as soon as possible to start the deck planking.
Sincerely, Jack.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Yesterday I finally "finished" to install the planking on the hull.

As "finished" I clearly don't mean to have the entire hull planked, up to the keel but, as you can view, achieving the result to have installed on both sides the same number of strakes. Now I have to stop, otherwise I need to throw the building slip. I'll continue the remaining after the completion of the deck when the building slip at that point will not be useful anymore.

However, even if the shell is not completely finished, it's possible to see quite well the lines of the hull, which I like very much and which have nothing to do with the bulging and rounded forms of galleons and vessels I built until now .

This time the photos were shot with a digital camera, not with the smartphone, and are definitely better than the last published in my two previous posts.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100091_zps6e113dbb.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100092.jpg


Until now I haven't encountered any particular problem while laying the planks. However I must admit that really it's not a easy hull. The bow seemed easier at the beginning, instead of at some point things got a little complicated. Aft however, where it seemed the hardest part so far has been a lot easier. Anyway these matters will be discussed in the next posts.

03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100093_zpse21a9a90.jpg


04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100095_zps45d7dc6e.jpg


05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100094_zps4c1dbbb6.jpg

Regards, Jack.Aubrey.

First two images show the entire hull capsized, on both sides. As you can see we are slightly more than halfway even if, maybe, the most complex part should be overcome. As my habit, as I progress with the planking, I level the surface with sandpaper. In this way I have left less work to do at the end.

01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100103_zps304bb4f3.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100104_zps775ae2a7.jpg


In the next image I'm showing a trick I use when I can not avoid gaps between a strip and its neighbouring. Keep in mind that this normally occurs over a small area, not on the entire strake. In this case, instead of sanding the higher strip, reducing its thickness, I prefer to paste another small strip on the lower strake. Next, when the glue is totally dry, I level properly the whole without the need to reduce the thickness of the plank in the involved area.

In the picture shown below you can see three pieces of this kind ready to be sanded and if you look more in deep near them you will see two areas already leveled. They are distinguished by a color slightly different.

03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100105_zpsf1108e6a.jpg


You can also see that the last two strakes downwards are interrupted before the bow and are cut diagonally. This solution is viable thanks to the fact that the double planking is planned and this allows to use a normal straight strip. To avoid this "trick" would be necessary to start from a much wider strip and cut out the right shape to follow the lines of the hull. I think those who are used to single planking know what I mean.

During the second planking this situation will happen again. However, having the intention to use for this second pass sheets of veneer from which to derive the strips, I should be able to adopt the correct method more easily and with less waste of timber. .

. . but we must also take into account that the hull will be covered with copper plates and, if this area will stay below the waterline these critical efforts may be waste of time. In that case I would not complicate my life to do something that will not be visible.

04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100106_zpsfbe729b1.jpg


Finally, the stern. From what you can see from the photo below you probably understand that the transom is sharp corner shaped . . but it does not. In the model it is expected the transom be rounded. Here, too, I adopted another trick to speed up the laying of the first planking (it's 2mm thick). With such a thickness it's not easy to bend the strip to give it the rounded shape of the stern, so I made sure to have a very large underlying base on which pasting the strip with no need of bending but being sure it rests perfectly on the whole underlying base. Subsequently I'll shape round everything (obviously removing the brass nails) without problems being practically a block of wood and I'll have to worry about bending the strips only for the second planking, but with the thickness of 0.5mm. Definitely a much easier job.

But I must admit, to be honest, that it's the first time I try this "trick" . . hope it works.

05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100107_zps7b47ce8b.jpg


I stop here this long exposure, not easy to describe only with words.
If someone do not understand what I wrote, which is highly likely, seen the way I explain probably not much clear and in a foreign, for me, language, please do not worry to ask for further clarification.
Regards, Jack.

Since I still uploaded more photos on the "photobucket.com" site and it costs nothing to show, I add a few more additional images of the brick, taken on the same day of the last messages.
The heads of the brass nails were leveled and do not bother, so I do not intend to remove them. With the second planking they will disappear. Jack.


01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100098_zps3d70a4a9.jpg


02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100101_zps59a0efdd.jpg


03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100099_zps3c77c405.jpg


04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100100_zps6c580ebb.jpg


05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100097_zps43c4da21.jpg