For big jake & B.leCren,RE,AMATI ENDEAVOUR>>

If you're looking for a good cause to get it to, contact the Marine Toys for Tots group in your area. The Marines hold a big charity auction for the big spenders and will auction off the model for a good chunk of change for the kids. I been building 1 model a year for them for several years, you shoud see the kids faces light up when they get a pressent. (No not the model but what the money raised from the sale of the model)

Each year I build a fully rigged U.S.S. Consitution and it normally rasies $1500.00. I'm not braging, but it's the highlight of the auctions

JAke

Good Idea. That must take a good part of your modelling year. Is it the Revell one or a plank on frame?

No this is the plastic, and it only takes me about 60 to build one. About the same time as a Cutty Sark.

Big Jake:
Kudos on your generosity for the kids. I only wish I could build that fast.

Jim:
Regarding tapering the mast, I have two suggestions for you. The first one is scrap the dowel and make a new one out of built up wooden strips. This is because over time and with changing temperature and humidity the odds are good that the dowel mast will warp, if it hasn't already. The pieces that build up the new mast will try to warp but will cancel each other out as long as you have laid the grains in opposite directions.

To make the taper I recommend turning the part on a lathe. A wood lathe will be too short and the part too flimsy, so I would use a metal lathe. These have hollow arbors that you can feed the wood through and so do about six or eight inches at a time. Just pre-mark the mast locations where you will be checking the diameter against your references, and use a steady rest, and all should go well.

When done on the lathe finish up with hand sanding, and seal the wood before proceeding further.

If you can't find a lathe big enough then Plan 'B' (always have one of those) is to use a spokeshave.

I'd be interested in knowing how you make out.
Regards,
Bruce

Thanks for the tips. 60 hours is still good for a quality job. Amati thought of the warping effect already. The mast comes as Handed half rounds which are offset as well to allow the pieces to fit in the box. So the four lenghts work against each other. Like you I decided that a spokeshave might be the way to go. Or a small craft- plane.

What I ment was it takes us 60 days to build one, not 60 hours. I wish it was 60 hours!

Easy,just no sleep,no work,and a constant supply of sandwiches brought in.

No beer ??

Jim, looks like you and Mr. Spokeshave are going to be new best friends. Check your references, I do not believe the mast began tapering until above the boom jaws.

Find and mark centers on both ends of the dowel, then mark the required radius at the truck end. Then mark circles on the dowel where the taper will start and at each point where the radius reduces by 1/64".

Then fasten the dowel somehow so it won't get away from you. Take the spokeshave and set the blade for 1/64" or even less. Run from where the taper starts to the mast truck, then again from your first 1/64" mark, then the next mark, etc. until you have a tapered flat on the dowel.

Turn the dowel over and repeat. Then rotate 90 degrees and repeat again, last turn the dowel over once more and repeat. You should end up with four flat tapers on your dowel.

Now take the spokeshave and plane down the remaining round parts (between the flats) until you have an 8 sided taper. At his point you will have planed off your depth mark references but that is OK.

Now plane down the 8 points where the flats come together to make 16 sides. Now you're ready to sand the dowel round.

Sounds like a lot of work but this method will ensure your taper remains centered on the dowel as you work.

Enjoy!
Bruce

As he said in the TV series 'quantum Leap'.....OH BOY. I think it will be a good Idea to finish the hull first & that will be the spur to take the mast on. The boom is another story all together. It is triangular in shape but the apex (toward the bottom obviously) tapers at both ends at different angles!

Good luck Jim.
Another thought just occurred to me. If you have a wood working friend see if he can use a jointer to do the work on the mast and boom for you.
Regards,
Bruce