Waterways

The edging around the outside of the deck have finally been installed, these are the waterways and are very small, 1/16 in wide and 1/64 in thick, fully fabricated and stained to eventually match the bulwark stantions and caprail, which will be installed soon.

I have also completed construction of the rudder, but will not be installing it for some time to come. I also cut out the scuppers in the side of the ship just above the waterways, I decided to only show this feature on one side of the ship. This is the feature that allows the water to run off of the deck during heavy storms so they are certainly necessary, however, I found that when carving the bulwarks a few steps ago, they are not exactly the same height, so the scupper slot on the other side would have looked horrible, luckily for me the place that I plan to display the model will only show one side, so I can choose which I want to show off and just turn it around.

For now though, it is time to paint.

The Deck

After many coats of white paint and some sanding in between the model was ready for the deck to be installed. The was installed with some wood glue (spread very thin) and some super glue around the edges to hold it all in place (which I managed to spill all over myself and have no idea how to clean it off). Dang superglue, I guess I am n ot very good at using it.

You can see some light pencil marks in between the planks which represents the caulking that would have been on the original ship. You can also see the finished bulwarks size and the notch carved out for the bowsprit which will not be installed for some time.

Next comes the waterways, the caprail, and finishing the exterior of the hull.

The Bulwarks

The bulwarks is another name for the sides of the ship that would keep sailors from falling overboard. In order for me to make these bulwarks (sides) the correct thickness to accept the top rail (think a big hand rail around the entire ship) I spent many hours over the course of a few day slowly whittling away unnecessary material. The final width of the bulwarks is roughly 1/32 in., and I am ready for my first round of paint.

Next comes the bowsprit notch, planking the deck, painting the outside of the hull, creating the top rail, installing the rudder, and on and on, etc.....

Coppering the Hull

After many years of trying different things to protect the underside of wooden ships from the seas and seas life copper plates were found to be the most effective. Given the time period of this model (1868) I too needed to line the underside of the ship with copper.

At first I started with very small (1/4 in x 1/8 in) individual plates, but was having a difficult time getting them to stay stuck on the wood, and on each other. So I scraped that idea and went with an easier tactic. Although not truly to scale, this method of running 1/4 in copper strips down the entire length of the hull has a nice affect, and gets the job done.

So after two days of frustration, sticking things in the wrong place, and accidentally pealing up the strips that I had just put down the job is complete, at least this portion of it. I finished it all off with a light coat of superglue applied with a brush to help keep everything in its place.

The Waterline

Well, with some makeshift tools and a lot of wondering what I was doing I drew the waterline on the model.

I measured, re-measured, and then measured the other side, and after all that I think I might have done a good job.

Of course being a perfectionist means that I started all over and drew the line again, but it went right over the top of the other waterline.

Now that the line is marked I'm just going to have to accept where it is. It is now time to apply copper plates the model below the waterline. I first have to cut out each of the 1/8th in x 1/4in copper plates ( a tedious task) and then the application can begin.

The keel, stem, and stern post (and a makeshift cradle)

The first step in attaching the keel, stem , and stern post is to create these pieces individually. The stern post was relatively simple, just some minor shaping to give the slight curve at the end (not visible in these photos). The keel is just a straight piece of 1/8th inch by 1/8th inch square basswood (again very simple).

The tough part is the stem, which follows the curve of bow. This piece I made using two sets of three pieces of the same 1/8th in x 1/8th in basswood all glued together and then these two pieces glued together to give enough room to draw, and then carve the correct shape. (see photo above) After carving, sanding, and shaping all of the pieces were ready to go on.

Some wood glue, some careful (stick it on there) and a few rubber bands hold it together. Now we wait.

Carving the Step

The step is an important detail for the model, but ti is also a time consuming job. After a few days of off and no carving, sanding, more carving, and even more sanding, I think I'm ready to finish this step off with a little more sanding.

These photos help me to see the imperfections in my sanding and in order to keep the quality of my finished product up I will, without a doubt, sand it some more. The step you see in the photos is exaggerated by the close focus, this carved feature is 1/8th of an inch down from the top of the bulwarks (the top) and a very small 1/32nd of an inch deep.

Next I will build a cradle for the model, attach the keel, stem, and stern post; and attempt to mark the water line.

Shaping the Hull

The first step, besides making sure that everything is there and nothing is broken, is to cut out some hull templates that help in shaping the hull.

Chisel, sand, measure and repeat. This has been my process in order to get the hull to its nearly proper shape.

This process will indeed continue for some time until the proper shape is found and the hull is smoother than smooth. If there is anything I learned from my grandfather about sanding, it is that once you think your done, sand it some more and then you might sand it some more again. So that is what i will do, just keep sanding.

The kit

The kit came in the mail after a few days of waiting (in agony, i'm a little impatient sometimes) I was surprised at the size of the model (smaller even that I expected) but that will not stop me from getting right to work.

As you can see there are many small items (most of which you may not actually be able to see) but everything that is supposed to be there seems to be so I will begin construction.

The Phantom

So after a few weeks of research, a lot of reading, and an urge to find a new creative outlet, I have a new found fondness for sailing vessels of all types. I can recall many hours spent carving, sanding and building all type of small items with my grandfather when I was a youngster, and now that has come full circle, I am now ready to begin my own woodworking creations.

With my new fondness for wooden model ships, I am building my own. I started with an entry level ship known as the Phantom (a New York Pilot boat, 1868). This is a kit complete with all the things needed to complete my first model. It is small in scale, 1/8th inch = 1ft on the original craft, which makes it easier and more difficult all at the same time.

I will update this blog through each part of construction with a few notes as well as some photos of my work in progress. Enjoy...