you highly recommend that product, sorry if i sound stupid what do you use it for apart from the obvious.

cheers

These are a few pictures I took while re doing the mast for the Del prado Bounty, the partworks supplied dowl of various sizes, over the years they warped a little, so I decided to make my own.
After scanning from the pages of Mckays book and put them into photoshop I made sure the image with the aid of the ruler within the program showed the masts at the correct size (the partworks shows the correct lenghtt of each mast, yard ect)
Once printed out I could start marking and sanding down, the calipers were invaluable as you can see from the images below.











In the last 2 you can see the improvements -
A - Partworks supplied dowl
B - Dowl turned in a make shift lathe
C - Stock used for remake of Masts
D - First end of a yard completed, but needs more work
E - Finished Yard.

Without the calipers I could not have achived this.

Have you details of your make shift lathe? I will be getting close to thinking about masts and spars for the first time shortly.

Mike T

I tried various methods, some which nearly took my fingers off!
It wasnt a great success but I did manage a few small parts.

i need to get one of those ....i did have a set but mine were a cheap plastic set...which i have not seen in ages .....so they are either in one of my many tool box/bits boxes....of my rottie cross thought they were a chew toy

A couple of weeks ago my local Aldi had digital calipers for £9.99. I almost bought them, but talked myself out of it as, at that time, I did not have a precise use for them. Am I sick now?

However Model Boat Magazine is offering a digital caliper as a gift to new subscribers if anyone is interested.

Hi Lads
This is getting very technical do we really have to have all these tools
The jig idea with the corner brackets is great I am now worried that I will not be good enough for the masks etc.

Thanks everyone for helping me and I am sure that I will be on the forum a lot asking many questions.
It is really good that we can have photos to see what to do.

Pam

Ps when are the next issues out

I know what you mean about "technical"!! I have a basic tool kit and i think it will be fine for this build. Although it would be great to have all these "tech tools", storage, cost and the "do i really need it" factor all come into play!! I am sure as i get more experienced at wood builds i will be looking for better tools, but for now, as a novice, i am happy with what i have and plan on enjoying this build and not stressing over a mini lathe ! I like to read and take on board what others are buying and making, and i admire those on this forum who are fabricating there own parts, very clever people, and i hope to be at that level one day, but a am content for now with what i have and my level of skill. And i know that with the help from others on this forum, all of us will be very proud of what we have acheived regardless of our skill level and how "technical" our tools are.

Alex has identified the most important requirement which is time. Those French POW's had nothing else to do and could spend all day working on their bone models.

I have a birthday shortly and am seriously considering the Proxxon lathe recommended by Tomick. If I buy I will write you a review based on the blind leading the blind because I have absolutely no experience of wood-turning.

Victory's masts may well be a year or more away but I feel the mast and rigging of Halifax calling me!

Mike T