More shaping of the hull. Not having much success with precisely matching the stem and sternpost to the bow and stern, so I cut the stem and sternposts off to more easily resize them.

I decided to make an extra wide and deep keel, since it seems many r/c square rig modelers end up adding more after their model was knocked over by a wind gust. Glued two 3/4 inch x 2 1/2 inch oak boards on either side of a new 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch oak board, 24 inches long. Sanded down the top and bottom of the hull to an even length, then glued the keel to the bottom of the hull using Titebond III wood glue.

Sanded the edges of the keel a bit to give a better angle. Glued the resized stem and sternpost to the hull and keel, fitting much better than before. Used some wood filler and wood glue to fill up any gaps.

The two inch wide keel will also allow the model to sit securely without having to carry around a display base. Will consider adding a 2 inch wide copper bar to the bottom if more ballast weight is needed.

Week 4