It seems apparent, seems I wrote....that the NY pilot Boat group build petered out. My experince with groups makes me feel that this is normal.
I therfore may be the only member, albeit not original, left in this group build. I am going to report my progress and observations for whatever they maybe worth. Ahem!
I became interested in wooden ship builds because I like to build models and wooden ships was something I never attempted and felt the time was right.
I wanted to get a big old ship and would have but my wife said let me buy you an easy one. She was right again.
I got the Pilot boat for Christmas 2007 and began work about a month later.
As you are all aware if you have no one to ask it rather complicates things now, doesn't it?
Through the internet I found Chuck's guide and downloaded it. It has rather helped but as I see from a thread here it is out of date and not likely to be updated.
Tutorials are very hard to write and most time consuming. I am most grateful for and applaud Chuck's efforts.
I progressed fairly well with the hull. It took rather long to reach the stage it did before it's destruction in the mouth of my Labrador. God love her. It was replaced for free
There were so many unanswered questions raised by the directions and tutorial that I didn't want to move too fast.
What's the best tool to draw a straight line on a curved surface? What's the best method to determine a centerline? What's the best marking tool and why?
These were just a few of the questions that were raised by me that I couldn't answer straightaway.
To find the centerline of the hull I used the straight pin thread method discovered by me. Perhaps it was independently discovered by others I wouldn't know.
I decided arbitarily where center was after sanding the hull so it would fit the forward template. In one spot the hull was 1/8 th inch along the keel and that was my start point.
I have an Ikea tape measure made from perhaps mylar that has 1/16 th gradations and is easily bent to conform to the hull shape. Using this measurer and straight pins I could
measure 1/16 th in on either side of my centerline. Tough task done. With those marks set I am ready to carve.....again.
Other things that might help: 1) Hang the plans on the wall
2) Scan the plans so you have smaller workable sets
3) Don't rush.....What's the hurry?
4) Mechcanical pencil
More later and please join in.
Sam