work in progress, 1/6th 1890's navy steam launch built to navy plans

[tghsmith]

this project crossed a milestone (sea bouy?) today as the framework in completed,, fairing and planking to start next week.. no more steam bending frame billets,,

 

[Roy G]

Impressive work. Have you built other ships?

Roy G

 

[tghsmith]

lots of scratchbuilt ships and boats using more normal model building methods,, this one has been in the planning for over ten years,, will be live steam, built directly as the the navy plans including wood types, I've been working on the engine and brass work for the hull for a while..

 

[Oka]

That's Awesome ! Is the little skeleton showing us what you will look like when you get done ?

 

[tghsmith]

some days it feels like that, but actually he is 12 inches tall making him 1/6th scale so shows the model size without blocking to much detail in the photos.. he is a stern inspector of parts..

 

[Dee2]

Thought maybe the skeleton was Davy Jones shriveled up.

 

[Mark Johnson]

Great detail, and must take a ton of hours.

 

[greenhornWoodworker]

Im really impressed by the attention to detail and level of effort that goes into that. Mind = blown

 

[tghsmith]

the around 100 parts are now one!!,, some dowel pegging to do and the fairing of the hull can start!!

 

[tghsmith]

back to making tools, size wise my sanding boards that I have on hand were not up to the job,, made some more (may have over did it!!) different widths, thickness and flex...

 

[tghsmith]

added handles to the big flexy sanding board (BFSB) speed things up, one side is mostly faired, more work around the stern and skeg needed.. but moving along nicely..

 

[LeftyTom]

I commend your attention to detail.

 

[tghsmith]

how to make a template for a complex shape,, I had some flexy plexy about the shop,, it formed well about the complex shape of the fantail stern,, marked it and cut out the templates,, cut out the billets out of white oak and re-sawn for thickness..after getting the blanks close to the final thickness and shape they will be heat bent to fit..

 

[tghsmith]

faired and ready to start planking next week..

 

[Dee2]

Davey gonna need some deck shoes before long!

 

[tghsmith]

after months of cutting, bending, planning, rasping, carving and sanding the white oak for the framework turning the white cedar boards into hull plank blanks was a joy (not to mention it smells so nice) cut to height on the tablesaw and then rough thickness on the bandsaw.. the thin bandsaw blade allowed for 4 planks per billet with room for thickness sanding..

 

[Berta]

This post is so interesting!

 

[tghsmith]

thanks all, things should get really fun when the cherry and ash work starts..

 

[tghsmith]

setting the curves in the white oak sheer planks,, a good hot hot water soak, a little help from the "bending iron" and lots of clamps..

 

[tghsmith]

most woodworkers has a wall of bar-clamps, I have a pile of small C-clamps