HMS Victory 1:98

[WP Rayner]

Bill, here's the drum-sanding setup I was trying to describe. Simply a scrap block of MDF with a hole bored in it, slightly larger than the diameter of the 400 grit sanding drum. Using very light passes, it removes marks left by the saw and trues the curves up nicely. Surface of the drum is 90 degrees to the surface of the MDF.

[Barney]

A very nice bit of machinery and of course excellent woodworking skills 
Barney

[Bill Gill]

Thanks, Paul. Nice set up. It's the skill in employing the tools that's most impressive.
If you're ever looking for a second hobby, I watched this 20 min YouTube interview about a guy who hand grinds and polishes VERY precise reflective tiny telescopes out of a solid blank of opitical glass:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxwhCmO90UQ

[Ray Dunakin]

Nice rig!

[Bernhard]

Good idea! Simple, but good effect.

Bernhard

[WP Rayner]

Thanks Barney, Bill, Ray, and Bernhard.

Bill: I watched the mini-telescope making video... incredibly impressive stuff. Really can't understand how he does it. Amazing skill. Not looking for another hobby tho. Apart from all the projects on the modelbench, I have three antique clocks to repair and restore and the kitchen redo to finish. Barely leaves enough time for 9-ball and snooker!

Here are a couple of photos of a little machine that Santa left. It's a mini-belt sander of unknown manufacture (probably China) and it's surprisingly well-made and precise for the modest cost (less than $100 CDN). Apart from the switch housing which is bent aluminum, it's all made of well-machined aluminum blocks and plates, assembled with socket-head cap screws throughout. All pulleys sit on ball bearings and there are seven speed settings. Fully adjustable, it's perfect for sanding small parts and with the addition of a 25 degree or 30 degree angle block (clamped to the adjustable table), I've used it to sharpen knives, chisels, and small plane irons. Belts are 3/8" wide, belt tension and tracking can also be adjusted. It's a great little piece of kit.





As an aside, I've started working with photo-stacking. These photos, the keel timber photos, and the sanding drum photo setup were all shot with my Samsung phone camera on the tripod. The multiple shots were then stacked in Helicon Focus which is simple and fast. Load the photos (I've been using 6-7 images per stack), press the button, and the software takes 2-3 seconds to render the final image... brilliant. There are lots of processing adjustments that can be made of course, but I just use the default setting.

[Carlo]

Hi, Paul -

I have an identical little belt sander, and it does work very well.
However, I can't seem to source the 3/8" X 13" belts for it.
Better still, I think a 1/2" X 13" belt would just fit the pulleys.
Do you know any sources for belts for what seem to be this "odd" belt length of 13"?

Carlo

[WP Rayner]

Amazon has them Carlo, at least here in Canada. You can get a pack of 24 belts, 4 each of 6 different grits, for just under $17.00 CDN.

[finescalerr]

What an exquisite little power tool. And your work with Helicon Focus is terrific. -- Russ

[Carlo]

Paul - I found them on Amazon US too.
I don't know why I didn't see them before.
Thanks, Carlo

[WP Rayner]

You're welcome Carlo. Glad they're readily available in the U.S. as well.

[WP Rayner]

What an exquisite little power tool. And your work with Helicon Focus is terrific. -- Russ

Thanks Russ, the sander really is an excellent little machine. I'm still surprised with the quality, especially for a Chinese import, which as we know, don't always live up to their promise.

Yes, Helicon Focus is brilliant. Developed primarily for DSLRs, but it works surprisingly well with cell phone cameras, as long as your camera has selective focus ability. There is tremendous complexity built into the program, but I just use it at the default settings.

[WP Rayner]

A little more progress on the bow timbers, all pieces are now assembled and ready for cutting the rabbet to accommodate the forward ends of the planks. First photo shows the items needed to cut the rabbet on the starboard side: Front-to-rear: formed brass pattern matching the outside curve of the rabbet line; assembled bow timbers; baseboard with slots to accommodate clamps that hold pattern to the timbers. In addition are the Mortice Gauge, rawhide mallet, marking knife, and two small chisels for cutting the rabbet. I formed the brass pattern from some scale channel in a small bending roller to get the curve right, then soldered on some machined brass feet so the pattern could be clamped to the timbers.



Second photo shows the brass pattern clamped in position on the bow timbers and that assembly set into place on the baseboard ready for marking out and chiselling out the rabbet on the starboard side. All components can be flipped over for chiselling out a matching rabbet on the port side.

[finescalerr]

If you ever finish that model, and if you are able to maintain your extremely high standards, it should go to a museum or other gallery where it is very well protected and people can admire it forever. -- Russ

[Ray Dunakin]

Fascinating!