Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'model shipways'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • The Captain's Cabin
    • How to use the MSW forum - **NO MODELING CONTENT** 
    • New member Introductions
  • Member's Build Logs
    • Build logs for SHIP MODEL KITS - by era - launch date
    • Build logs for SCRATCH projects - by era - launch date
  • Group Projects on MSW
    • Group Projects on Model Ship World
  • Shop Notes, Ship Modeling Tips, Techniques and Research
    • Nautical/Naval History
    • Discussions for Ships plans and Project Research. General research on specific vessels and ship types..
    • Building, Framing, Planking and plating a ships hull and deck
    • Discussion for a Ship's Deck Furniture, Guns, boats and other Fittings
    • Masting, rigging and sails
    • Model Tips and Tricks and Making Jigs
    • Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
    • Metal Work, Soldering and Metal Fittings
    • Wood discussion...Where to use it? Where to get it? What types are best? How to Finish it?
    • Painting, finishing and weathering products and techniques
    • CAD and 3D Modelling/Drafting Plans with Software
    • Photographing your work. How to do this.
  • Ship Modeling News And Reviews.....Traders and Dealers...Ship Model Clubs
    • General Ship Model Kit Discussions - NOT build logs
    • Reviews
    • Book, Monograph and Magazine reviews and Downloads. Questions and Discussions for Books and Pubs
    • Traders, Dealers, Buying or Selling anything? - Discuss New Products and Ship Model Goodies here as well!!
    • NAUTICAL RESEARCH GUILD - News & Information
    • Important Ship Model Club News, Links to ship modelling resources and museums
  • The Crew's Lounge
    • Non-ship/categorised builds
  • Medway Long Boat - 1742 - Public group project.'s Plans and Instructions/Downloads
  • Medway Long Boat - 1742 - Public group project.'s Medway Long Boat - 1742 - Public group project.
  • Medway Long Boat - 1742 - Public group project.'s General discussions/How to join
  • Rope Making/Ropewalks's Ropewalk Plans/Downloads
  • Rope Making/Ropewalks's Discussions about Rope Making
  • Rope Making/Ropewalks's Rope Materials and parts resources
  • Rope Making/Ropewalks's Commercial sources for ropewalk machines
  • Intro to carving - typical decorative relief carving for ship models's Build Logs for the Carving Group Project
  • Intro to carving - typical decorative relief carving for ship models's Tutorials and Discussion for the Carving Group
  • Intro to carving - typical decorative relief carving for ship models's How to join this Carving Group
  • HMS Triton - 28 gun frigate's Build Logs for the Full Hull Version of HMS TRITON
  • HMS Triton - 28 gun frigate's How to Join The HMS TRITON Group Build
  • HMS Triton - 28 gun frigate's Cross Section Build Logs for HMS TRITON
  • HMS Winchelsea 1764's How to join this group project???
  • HMS Winchelsea 1764's General project discussions on planking, fittings and monograph chapters
  • HMS Winchelsea 1764's Member Build logs for the HMS Winchelsea
  • Planking Techniques's Planking Downloads and Tutorials and Videos
  • Planking Techniques's Click Here for Topics dedicated to planking!!!!
  • HMS Granado 'Cross Section' - CAF Model's Questions and discussions about building the kit
  • HMS Granado 'Cross Section' - CAF Model's Build Logs for the CAF Granado Cross MID-Section

Calendars

There are no results to display.

There are no results to display.


Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


AIM


MSN


Website URL


ICQ


Yahoo


Jabber


Skype


Location


Interests

  1. I expected to be now concentrating on my Agamemnon, but it seems the ship modelling gods had something else in store for me. I have been asked by someone to build a Mayflower for them. This is not a model that I would have chosen for myself, as I'm not particularly interested in 17th century vessels. My favourites are late 18th century. Nevertheless I'm happy enough to build it for someone else. Keeps me off the streets. There are several Mayflowers available, but I settled on the Model Shipways version, as I tend to like their kits generally and Chuck Passaro designed this one, so it seemed to me to be the best option. I don't tend to complain too much about cast metal parts. Usually I find they can be made to be acceptable with a little filing, paint etc. But I don't think I've ever seen anything as bad as these cast metal crow's nests that came with the kit. In the instructions, it shows wooden components which appear to be quite acceptable and which I assume is how the kit originally shipped. However, I was surprised by what I found which look like something my grandmother would have baked tarts in. These just won't do. Not only do they look horrendous, but I don't know how I would be able to use them. It's difficult to see in the picture, but there is almost no lip or overhang on the upper rim, yet it's necessary to mount deadeyes and futtock shrouds. I just don't see how I could do that. Also, much of this ship has a natural finish, so painting these things to blend in would be almost impossible. So rather than starting at the beginning, I decided to get this problem behind me first and I set out to design and build something that I could live with. Here is what I have come up with: I simplified them slightly. The plans show 16 brackets of about 1/32" wide. I was having quite a bit of trouble with that, so I reduced the number to 12 and made them 1/16" and I found that worked better for me and still looks ok. The crow's nests on the replica Mayflower II have closed sides, and I believe it was the idea for this model too. However, I'm going to leave them open. I experimented with closing them in and wasn't happy with the look. Also, all of the other kit versions of the Mayflower have open sides, as do many other ships of this period. There isn't a lot of glue surface on the upper ring and there's going to be a bit of tension on it, so I added four pieces of brass rod that run through to the bottom, which should give it a bit more structural integrity. You can see one of them in the picture above, but I don't think they will show up when all the bits and pieces are in place. So, now I can relax, knowing that I have that little problem solved and go back to the beginning. David
  2. I'm starting this build log on the Mayflower from Model Shipways. I'm pretty new to this kind of modelling, so I'm hoping for as much advice and constructive criticism as I can get. The first thing that they want you to do is cut out the false keel and gently sand off the laser char. Then, you glue a piece of basswood called a 'rabbet strip' along the bottom edge and along the stern. This allows you sand or chisel the bottom rearmost part of the keel from its original 3/16" thickness to 3/32" below a predetermined mark called the 'bearding line', which is laser drawn on one side of the keel. (As the rabbet strip is 1/8" wide, it needs to be reduced to 3/32", which means that 1/64" is removed from each side. I first cut the rabbet strip down to about 3/32" in the area that need it, and then used a diamond dusted file to thin the keel as necessary. You can see this in the second picture, where the lighter colored rabbet strip is along the bottom of the keel, and the plywood has been thinned in the bottom left corner, thereby changing its color as the top layer was filed away.) I think that part went fine. But, I do have this question. I've taken a picture of the piece of plywood that the false keel was taken from, and then I've included a picture of both its long and short edges. Both of them have pretty noticeable warpage; and when I put the false keel onto a flat surface as it is in the second picture, there's about 2-3 mm of vault in the center. I've soaked it and left it to dry under some weights a couple of times, and it initially looks pretty flat, but after a few hours, it's back to the same warp. My understanding is that it's pretty important that the keel be straight in order to proceed effectively. I believe that I have a few choices: 1) keep soaking the keel, and drying it under weight on a flat surface, and hopefully it eventually will flatten out. 2) proceed with gluing on the bulkheads, and then put wood spacers between some of the bulkheads in order to force the keel straighter. 3) I read somewhere on this forum that you can multiply score one side of the keel, and then brush glue deep into the score marks, and clamp it between glass until it dries. Sounds complicated... 4) get a replacement part from Model Shipways. (I've heard that they have pretty good customer service.) I don't think that this is necessary, but I'll defer to the wisdom of the forum. Also, the plywood that contains the bulkheads is similarly warped. These are much smaller pieces, so the warping isn't as obvious as it is on the keel, but it is definitely there. (I've included a picture of one of the bulkheads with my finger holding down one side, showing that the other side lifts off the table.) Should I be worried about those too? Any suggestions?
  3. This is a log of the Charles W. Morgan, chosen as an opportunity to expand my modeling horizons, and for no other reason than the Admiral and I took the kiddies to Mystic Seaport over 30 years ago and spent a cold day traipsing around the ship. First, a thank you to those who have gone before. I have learned a lot, seen build quality I can only dream about, and thoroughly enjoyed the consistent thread that combines abject misery with the sheer joy of each challenge met. My goal is maintaining the discipline to go the full journey, which apparently is by no means assured. I’ll skip the unboxing comments other than to say everything was there except for the ship’s bell, which was forwarded in short order following my request to Model Expo. I chose to cut the rabbet prior to assembling the keel parts. An X-acto no. 17 chisel blade was helpful in tight areas. The jars of shotgun pellets, which served as ballast on a prior RC build, came off the shelf as a counterbalance to allow extending my work board over the edge of the desk. This gave clearance for clamps. The laser cut joint required shims. Brass wire and medium CA pinned the parts together after the glue set. The keel clamp is two wood strips anchored at one end by an old saw vice, and at the other by C-clamps. While massaging the bulkhead slots I discovered that all the keel slots were cut with what appeared to be an out of alignment laser (?) which prevented the bulkheads from fully engaging the keel slots and which twisted the alignment. If left un-filed this could have resulted in bulkheads out of square with the keel. To help maintain alignment I filled the outboard bulkhead spaces with 1/4 inch square strips of lengths to match the bulkhead spacing along the keel centerline. Bulkhead setting was assisted by a small framing square, age unknown. A test fit showed a reasonably straight start. Reading ahead the instructions indicated that the bulwark stanchions should be installed with a slight tilt per a detail drawing. This looked to be a roadblock so I cut a bunch of stanchions and punched out a piece of the plank sheer to review options. The first issue was that the 3/32 inch stanchions didn’t fit the 3/32 inch holes in the plank sheer. Each stanchion needed a slight trim (28 passes) on two sides at the sanding block. Now, how to set a tiny stanchion vertical in one dimension and angled in the other. My first thought was to push a scrap of wood up against the bulkhead, and align the stanchion with that. But that only works at a bulkhead and is awkward at best. The current thinking is an alignment jig (the stanchion is not yet glued in the photo). It fits over the plank sheer, has one surface for vertical alignment, and an edge set at the stanchion angle. Once the stanchion bottom end is trimmed and the stanchion hole is filed at one side, the stanchion is placed in the hole. After setting the jig the stanchion is secured with CA. Using this method it appears that the large majority of stanchions could be pre-set before the plank sheer is installed. Exceptions would be at the bow and stern where the plank sheer rises. Seems like a plan but we’ll see how reality and the CWM rabbit hole impact it. If you see any deal killers please chime in. Then the stem broke. Actually it wasn’t the first break, which occurred when I breathed on one of the mast slots in the keel. That was fixed with cover plates on both sides of the mast slot, along with plates on the other mast locations. While mucking about with the stanchions an errant elbow trashed the stem. Part one of the fix, after gluing the parts, involved more pins drilled as deep as the little bit could reach. Part two will be the supplemental support provided by the bow filler blocks which are being fabricated. I’m hoping there will not be too much tension on the stem during rigging, but I have no experience with long bowsprits so we’ll see how it goes. The counter and stern support blocks are installed. Reminds me of my first day in high school. After we were dismissed one of the school’s finest demanded that four of us climb into his convertible and squeeze down on the floor. He passed over one newbie who had a head full of shaving cream (“I ain’t gettin’ no lanolin on my tuck and roll!”) He then chauffeured us about 10 miles out of town and onto a deserted road in the woods where he dropped us off. When we asked which way was home he said “You’ll figure it out.” Thanks for viewing. Steve
  4. I decide to build the Syren after reading Chuck Passaro's instructions and Gahm, dubz and augie's build logs. The work done on these build is truly amazing and I'll be using them to guide me with my build. It has taken me a year to get up the nerve to enter a build log, so here goes please bear with me. 😁 on June 28th I received the kit so as seems to be a convention here's a photo of the box.
  5. I decided to post a build log for this model. I'm somewhat new to model ship building and modeling in general but I've completed three Model Shipways shipwright series with....okay results. The Dory, the Norwegian sailing pram and the lobster smack. What an awesome idea for newbies! I'm really glad I started with these models as I've learnt so many valuable skills (and made many educational mistakes). (Do they purposely make the models and instructions imperfect so we learn to overcome issues??) I was dreading the rigging on the lobster smack but found a couple of techniques on YouTube and came up with a couple of my own and I'm happier with the results. Still toying with redoing the halyards. Mods, please let me know if I'm not supposed to post my finished models here and l'll remove the pics. I was proud of each as I finished it. The Bounty Launch was a gift and, reading about it's history, I'm pretty interested! Amazing journey that I'll be reading more about. The kit is a bit different from what I'm used to. The instructions are more abbreviated and there are 4 GIANT pages of blueprints that have much useful information on them. After getting more familiar with the format, I love it! I've built the keel etc and am starting to build the molds. I have 3 concerns right off the bat: 1) they suggest staining the interior. Really? I thought staining was a recipe for blotchiness. I kinda count on paint to cover my mistakes. I'll have to decide if I'll stain or paint soon. 2) My keel does not perfectly match the false keel. See Pic. The gap isn't as pronounced on the other side due to the laser etching. I'm considering regluing the keel and stem despite the fact that I've cut the rabbit. Any opinions are apreciated! 3) Some of the molds don't seem to be tall enough near the stern. I'd expect them to be slightly higher than the false keel so that when they're shaped, the lower edge matches the line of the false keel. Should I glue these higher so that the low edge matches the line of the false keel? Okay, I apologize for the order of the pictures. I'll figure out how to post properly eventually!
  6. Started this build approximately six weeks ago, it's my first build log. As a volunteer at Mystic Seaport Museum, I regularly pass a Dory exhibit and I thought it would make an interesting subject for a Diorama. My original thought was to recreate the scene in the photo, the boat tied to the dock. However, my biggest concern was modelling the water. If I mess that up, the project fails! Another option I considered was to build a scene of a Dory on a Schooner. So, that's my plan. Decided the base would be a section of deck, the last Dory being prepared for launch from the L. A. Dunton Gloucester Fishing Schooner, circa 1923 (currently undergoing full restoration at Mystic Seaport Museum) for daily fishing. The Dunton carried 10 Dory's stacked five high, port and starboard. She had a crew of 24, Captain, 3 crew, and 20 fisherman (2 per Dory). Dories could carry several tubs of longline trawl that would be set away from the schooner. Each tub could carry as much as 1,800 feet of line with a hook every fathom, or six feet. If a commercially viable fish was found on 50 of those three hundred hooks it was considered a decent haul. Dory's were painted a buff color which would show up in the fog and in bright sunlight, the same color the spars on the mother ship would carry and the dory might have a small rope on the bung, should the boat overturn. There's lots of small detail that can be added, line tubs, dory fog horn, trawl anchor, trawl buoy, bailer's, sail, etc... Fortunately, I found some 1/24 scale figures I think I can modify. To start with, build the Dory! The Kit is the Model Shipways Lowell Banks Dory, "a beginner kit is not just for beginners"! No need to document the build, there are many Dory Build logs. So, fast forward, after few minor kit modifications, base painting, I started the weathering is a work in process in process. I mixed my own batch of base colors using enamel paints. For washes I use "only" watercolor paints". Not acrylic paints. Watercolor paints are much more forgiving, if you make a mistake, just wipe off with a damp cloth or paint brush. I never weathered a ship model; I'm having fun with this! Some dark grey wash, dry brushing and paint chipping, the detail starts to develop.
  7. While waiting for the HMS Speedwell project from Syren Ship Model Company I am building some smaller models to "fill in the spaces" in some of the cabinetry where the larger models will not fit.
  8. Let’s start with some background. I stumbled onto the Modelships Reddit a couple years ago while doom scrolling in the middle of the night trying to get my infant daughter to sleep. I became pretty fascinated by the intricacy of some of those builds but didn’t have the time to even think about getting started back then. A few months back I started toying with the idea of giving this a shot and ultimately couldn’t shake it. I don’t have any prior experience building models, but for someone with a desk job, I’m moderately handy and have done a fair amount of work on my house over the last 8 years. After some research and deal hunting, I ended up selecting this kit, along with some tools and supplies to get started. I was already pretty well into this build when I found my way to this site, so the rest of this post will primarily be a reflection on the first half of my first build, and I’ll try to transition to more of a true build log once I’m caught up. So far, my impression of the kit is that it is exactly as advertised. It’s very approachable for a beginner. The instructions are pretty clear and easy to follow, minus a step or two where the text got scrambled somehow. There are even some tips and contextual narratives mixed in for good measure. The first dozen or so steps were straight forward and probably don’t need to be rehashed here. The first real lesson for me came when I had to attach the knee to the transom. Despite the instructions calling for slow CA, I used quick CA as that was all I had on hand at the time. I proceeded to nearly glue my fingers together and ended up with quite a bit of excess, which you can see in the second photo. I now have slow CA as well. The other problem was that the transom ended up slightly off center, which led to a lot of sanding later on, though I managed to adjust for it. I was also slightly off center with 1 of the 8 frames, though now that I’ve gotten the side planks on, I don’t think it hurt me too much. Attaching the side planks to the frames ended up being not as bad as I thought it might be. At first I had some difficulty at the stem since it’s not easily clamped, but I managed to find a way to grip it and drip enough fast CA to get it secured while the slow CA set up. The rest of the side planks were affixed with white glue and clamped. Several rounds of sanding later brings me to the last two photos for this post. I’ve already made a bit of progress from when these were taken, so I should be ready for another post in a few days. Thanks for reading!
  9. This will be my first build and I welcome any comments, suggestions and questions. Living in a duplex that’s built on a slab we don’t have a basement and the garage isn’t heated, so I’m using a desk the spare bedroom. I’ve done what I can to protect the desktop and the carpet below the desk. Since we will be spending the next week enjoying our last camping trip of the season I won’t be able to start my build until the weekend of October 20th. But I do have my work area set up and spent 1 ½ hours doing the kit inventory. My plan is to explain my next step as I go along and then wait for feedback from more experienced model shipwrights before actually doing the work. When I return next week I will be cutting loose the 3 sections of the false keel, marking the reference line and bulkhead stations on both sides and assembling the false keel. Any suggestions on cutting loose the false keel sections without breaking / damaging anything? Any suggestions on the best way to transfer the reference line and bulkhead stations from the plan to the wood? Looking forward to starting my first build, Dave
  10. Greetings MSW users. While researching my project I've found MSW to be a wonderful resource. I especially appreciate the friendly and encouraging atmosphere. No build is too small or question too dumb. All are treated respectfully. So unlike much of our world today. I began modeling while in elementary school and continued through secondary school. Mostly cars and airplanes. Simple plastic models and a few wooden airplanes. The hobby taught me about tools, patience and an appreciation for detail. These skills translated well into my later career. I drifted away from the hobby during college and many years of working. After retirement I began to think about building wooden ship models. Something I had always wanted to do. For my first project I bought a solid hull Cutty Sark model by Scientific Models on Ebay. This 1:200 model was about the size of a plastic Cutty Sark I had built during secondary school. While it turned out OK for a first attempt, It was not large enough to do complete rigging. Only the standing rigging and sheets were practical at that scale. At least for my limited skills. Many fittings and details were only approximate representations. The hull had been started and there were a few parts missing when I obtained the kit. Why Bluenose? I was casting about for an interesting but not too complicated POB kit to challenge me and build skills without being overwhelmed to the point of giving up. My wife was pushing for a fairly large sloop rigged boat to become part of our decor. I picked Bluenose for the beautiful and sensuous lines. It also had interesting fittings and rigging, but was not so complicated as a man-of-war or square rigged schooner. The history of the ship was intriguing. Many research materials and build logs are available. Plus my wife found it acceptable. I studied build logs and researched model kits. The three most popular Bluenose kits were Artisana Latina, Billings Boats and Model Shipways. Artisana appears to be the least accurate. Photos and comments in general were not very favorable. The Billings is very popular and it has some construction advantages. However the build logs complain about inaccuracies. Model Shipways kit appeared the most accurate. I was also impressed they allowed for mistakes by including extra wood. I did find at least one inaccuracy in the plans as will be noted later. None had highly rated instructions or plans. At this skill level that shouldn't be a problem though.
  11. Log entry No. 1 Well, I'm going to take the plunge and start a build log. I could probably name this build log after one of my favorite Dr. Suess books I had as a child; One fish, Two fish, Red fish, Blue fish. There are several Flying Fish builds on MSW, so why not one more. I started this Model Shipways build in 1998 when my kids were small and had grand ideas of building the Fish as a grand piece for my office. Despite working as carefully as I could, I got frustrated with all of the mistakes I was making and put it aside in 2000. This was not the first ship model I've built. I just made a lot of careless mistakes rushing the build. Reading through the Fixing Mistakes thread on MSW gave me the motivation to take on the Fish again. The first order of business will be to fix all of the mistakes I've made. Here's some of the mistakes I will need to fix: 1. Did not fair bulkheads 5 and 6 enough resulting in a kink in the planking rather than a smooth run. I will need to remove the planking I've done and fair the bulkheads properly. 2. Sanded the planks as I went before I attached the stem. This resulted in a misshapen bow and too thin planks. Need to repair and bow and properly fit the stem. 3. Broke bulkheads 1 through 3 in the forecastle. Need to properly trim the replacement bulkheads I made from scrap basswood. 4. Did not properly taper the planks and installed stealers when I didn't need to. I will be removing the incorrect planks and re-installing them. 5. Need to replace the stern part of the planksheer that I ineptly carved. 6. Cut the stern part of the keel off too short so that it doesn't extend below where the rudder will be installed. I work exclusively with hand tools. I do not use so much as a dremel or air brush. One of the reasons is that I like to work at night when it is quiet. I don't want to disturb the admiral with the noise of machinery. The second reason is that I love working with hand tools. Surprisingly, despite sitting in an unheated garage for 20+ years, the hull is still true with no twist. I'll be working slowly and methodically and will post progress periodically. Please wish me luck. Wawona59 (John)
  12. Introduction Rattlesnake is my second model build. I finished Bluenose 1 back in June. This took me 2 years to finish. I decided to take a little summer break from modeling before starting Rattlesnake. I think that it was a good idea to give modeling a rest because I am now very eager to go. I consider my “official start date” as October 8th. In August I completed inventory of the kit. I also spent a lot of time throughout 2022 studying build logs for Rattlesnake and putting together my own build plan & instructions. I created an Excel spreadsheet to compare the instruction manual from Model Shipways, the plan I used for Bluenose and several build logs from this MSW website. Using all this information, I created my own plan. I thought about purchasing the Bob Hunt Practicum from Lauck Street Shipyard. But after reading JS Gerson’s build log, I decided not to. The Mamoli kit seems to be quite different from Model Shipways and I’m not ready to do a major kit-bash. I do plan on buying the masting & rigging practicum from Lauck Street. But that’s a ways off!! I share this thought process for anyone who is considering how to proceed with their own Rattlesnake build. I look forward to sharing my build log with you and I encourage you to share any comments or words of wisdom that will help me with this project! Thanks! Here are a few pics showing the completed inventory and the kit box cover:
  13. Hello Model Ship World! I am starting my build log for the Model Shipways Niagara. Although not new to model ship building, this will be my 2nd foray into wood. I recently finished the 18th Century Long Boat and learned so much, that I feel confident in moving to a larger ship. I am very slow and methodical when it comes to building. I'll let stuff dry for a week before touching it! I'm including the shots of the box and contents as it will probably be the last time it looks so neat and organized I cant thank other folks from the "Niagara Club" such as 6ohiocav and Mikiek (among others) for their build logs, your logs have been a wealth of information. Time to start counting sticks and get a keel laid down! Updates to follow! Tom E
  14. I am off and running to continue my education of model ship building and hopefully on this one I will add sails. Like my Niagara build I will start with the small boats which are mini model kits in themselves and that my two young granddaughters like looking at the "baby boats". They are 2 and 4 years old. I will skip the presentation of the box and contents since others have done it so well. I am starting with the pinnace the larger of the four. I started by marking the top surfaces of the laser cut parts before removing them from their parent sheet. The reason is that the laser cutting process burns a slight angle in the wood and when layering and gluing together you can use this angle to your advantage and avoid super thin areas. I glued all the layers of all the boats together minus the bottom layer. I used the scrap center as a clamp surface to provide even compression. Here is the reason to leave the bottom layer off and allow clearance to work on the inner walls. Here is the finished up inner walls rough cut and then sanded. Next I added sparingly automotive glazing putty to the inner walls for additional smoothness. This glaze dries quickly and is very easy to sand. Think of it as a thick layer of primer filler. Here is the finished exterior Here the bottom layer was added and shaping started by rough cutting with an Xacto blade, sanding block and sanding sticks. Here is the finished exterior ready for the keel. Here is the finished sanded interior ready for keel and other details. First I had to address the bow to stern sidewall curve which I developed using 1/4" masking tape, then marked the upper edge with a pencil and removed the tape and trimmed to the pencil line. Here is the interior with all the details added that will be painted while the rest will be bright stained finish. The exterior keel has also been added. The ribs are .0208" square Basswood Midwest Scale Lumber item number 8000. I have used their micro cut lumber for years on airplane builds. Next the pinnace will be primed and sanded and readied for paint per the plan scheme.
  15. Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack by MajorChaos - Model Shipways - 1:24 Third in a series of progressive model tutorials. The Dory is complete, model 1. The Pram, model 2, is almost done as of this writing. The Dory build Finished The Pram build Finished The Dory and the Pram have their short nick names we all seem to use, not sure what to short name this one yet. Started April 8th 2023.
  16. Better late than never, I guess; but here is my build log for the USF Confederacy. There are many like it, but this one is mine, lol. I started this build over 5 year ago. Then it got put on hold in Jan of 2018 due to my retirement from active duty Air Force, move from Texas to Georgia and starting a new job. Before I knew it, 5 years have past and I was looking at the MDF box the model was placed into for the move on the shelf in my closet. I decided to pull it down and open up the box. Then I decided it was time to start work on it again. I don't have any pictures of my progress up to this point, but I have a pictures of the current state of the build. I am currently in the process of fairing the sweep ports.
  17. This is my third model after completing the Dory and the Sailing Pram. I started out by checking the inventory. I found a couple discrepancies on the two inventory sheets with wood thickness and laser cut sheet labels. After inspecting the sheets and checking the instructions I think they are typos on the inventory rather than errors on the actual parts. I cannot tell of the copper wire bundle is both the 24 guage and 18 guage, but I will deal with that when I get to those steps.
  18. I recently completed the US Brig Syren. In my last post of the Syren log, I indicated that my next build might be the Constitution. However, after seeing the scale of the Constitution (48") and looking ahead to the size display case that would be required to display her, I decided against it. Instead, I am now embarking on my fourth build, the US Brig Niagara. The Niagara is a little shorter (43"), so I think the display case for it would be more manageable. And, based on some logs I have reviewed, the Niagara build is very similar to the Syren in many aspects. So, here I go. I ordered the kit from Model Shipways (see photo). As is typical, I checked the parts list against the contents and found that the ships bell was not included and I was short some blocks and nails. Everything else was in order. I labeled the size of the various bundled wood strips for quick reference. The kit comes with 6 detailed plan sheets and an instruction manual which I gave a precursory review before getting started on the build. I also jotted down a few notes that I thought would be helpful from my review of a few Niagara build logs. I decided to deviate from the instructions and start with the quarter boats and stern boat. I glued the various laser-cut lifts together and secured them. While waiting for them to dry, I turned my attention to the one-piece keel. Right out of the box Murphy’s Law crept up. The center keel fell off the work bench and the bow at bulkhead A and stern at bulkhead Q broke off – clumsy me. I glued the pieces and allowed the keel to dry overnight. To mix things up, switching to the center keel, I decided to make the rabbet before attaching the keel, stem, and sternpost. I marked the bearding line on the center keel with a pencil. For the stern bearding line, I made a copy of the plan, cut it along the bearding line, placed it on the keel and traced the bearding line. For the rabbet depth, I laid a strip of 1/16” thick plank flush against the bottom of the center keel and traced a line along the keel. I flipped the keel over and repeated the process. This gave me a good line to follow when bearding the keel. I used an x-acto knife to carefully cut the rabbet. The rabbet was then evened out with a sanding block and flat file. I checked the depth of the rabbet repeatedly by placing a piece of planking against the keel stem. Next, I glued the keel and stem together and allowed it to dry overnight. Continuing, I marked the location of dowels to secure the keel and pre-drilled holes in keel and stem. Also, I pre-drilled pilot holes for the pedestal mounting screws. The pedestal location is a matter of preference, but I typically locate them 1/3 of the way from the stern and the bow stem. I applied carpenters glue to the keel and secured to the center keel with brass pins inserted into the predrilled holes and applied clamps to hold the keel in-place while drying overnight. Before adding the stern post, I deepened the rabbet. The stern post was then glued and pinned. I cleaned out the rabbet of some glue with a flat file. I’m glad that I created the rabbet before adding the keel – it was much easier. Sanded the exterior and interior of the quarter boats and the stern boat to a rough finish with sand paper and a Dremel. I will apply some wood filler to even things out. I won’t spend much more time on the interior because once all the thwarts, seats, gratings, etc. are added much of the interior will not be readily visible. Also, I'm afraid to make them too thin. There’s a lot more to be done on these. I plan to jump back in forth between the boats and the ship while glue is drying and to break the monotony. Moving on to the bulkheads. I beveled bulkhead A. I took the advice of some other build logs and assembled bulkhead A and the bow filler pieces, knightsheads, timberheads, and support pieces before permanently installing the bulkhead on center keel. The filler blocks were made from the kit suppled 3/4"x1"x1" basswood blocks - they're a little harder to shape than balsa wood. It took quite a lot of sanding and filing to get the right shape. Once that was done, I made a copy of the filler block top from plan sheet 2 and used it to mark the cut outs for the knightsheads and timberheads. The cut outs were notched with x-acto knife and evened out with a flat file. Next, I cut (from 1/8" x1/8" basswood), test fit, assembled, and glued the knightheads, timberheads, and laser cut top stiffeners. A added a little CA at the joints to further secure the pieces. I did some final filing to further shape the assembly. Next up, bulkhead Q and the stern blocks. Stay tuned.
  19. I have been reading with interest the blogs about buildings Model Shipways Flying Fish. This is opportune for me as I have been building the solid hull version of this model for over 40 years. I have been particularly interested in other builders interpretation of the aft cabin and stem of the Flying Fish. I have been fortunate in that I was able to observe and photograph the china trade painting of the Flying Fish when it was up for auction in 2005(?) at Northeast Auctions.. Since then we have all benefited from the pictures of the Flying Fish painting by James Buttersworth that is now available to view online. Both these paintings have cleared up questions about the ship such as mast and bowsprit colors aft cabin face and to some degree, the figurehead. While I think I am the only builder building the solid haul version, I will attempt to relate my own experience building this model and the results of my own research and thoughts. I hope you did this interesting.
  20. Hello again, I’m back with the beginning of the third and final model in the Shipwright Series kit by Model Shipways: the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack. It would appear that I’ve fallen slightly behind my cohort here as I’ve been away on vacation for a short time. I’m catching back up on everything Happening in the other build logs and have some really good work to live up to. So far all I have done is take a quick inventory to make sure everything is included and accounted for. I’m eager to get started. Most importantly, though, is that I’m going to take some time to read through the instruction booklet and familiarize myself with the first few steps before getting started. It’s a practice that served me well in the first two models and I see no reason to rush in on the third (even though I desperately want to get straight to the cutting, sanding, and gluing). I suspect this build will be at a bit of a slower pace than the Pram was because I’m transitioning between a very hands-on phase at work where I could have my evenings to myself and into a more creative phase where my evenings are going to become busier with recording or expanding ideas.
  21. This is my fourth boat start. Still working on the third. Starting small to work my way up to something larger when my skills are ready. Model Shipways 18th Century Longboat.
  22. Finally cooling off in Florida - time to start another build, the rigging plan on this one is a nightmare, the set that I got the plan is all black and white. The instruction booklet says that the running rigging should be in red. Contacted Model Expo a couple of weeks ago to try to get the plan with running rigging marked in red and so far no response. Used dremel drill press to drill pilot holes in the keel to pin it in place. Slots in bulkheads were all too tight and had to be sanded to widen.
  23. Just in from eBay, just snagged this kit NIB for $59.00. I have been chomping at the bit for something like this since I started seeing these kind of builds on MSW. Been working on the Charles W Morgan for a while now. This is a perfect follow up to that build. Can’t wait to get started so I have set up both the CWM and the Whaleboat on the bench for multitasking, keeps things interesting. Actually, the detail of this kit will help with finishing touches on the CWM. Very impressed with this kit. It’s my first build of the larger scale 1/16th. I have been working with Vintage kits around 1/96 scale. Instruction “book” and detailed parts look really good. Hope I can do this kit justice, it will be a step up for me in terms of skill sets. The micro carpentry just got more refined. Wish me luck and patients. Latter... 😎
  24. I am moving on to this ship after finishing the NRG half hull planking project. I was looking for my next ship when I was finishing the MS Lobster Smack and found Chuck Passaro’s very detailed shop notes for this model. I kept looking at those instructions wondering if I could follow them. I finally decided to order the kit, but after about 6 weeks, Model Expo told me that they had stopped making it. So I did the half hull project next to work on my planking skills. While I was working on it I found a Sultana kit on EBay. I think it’s pretty old. The shop notes give detailed instructions for modifying the kit and doing some scratch building. Some parts of it look pretty difficult. I am especially worried about the fun with Sculpy parts that involve sculpting a new quarter badges and a figure head, but they are a long way off, and I can always wimp out and just use the cast ones that come with the kit. The hull is supposed be planked above the waterline, and the planking replaces the carved bulwarks so the first step is to modify the solid hull. This is the hull as it comes out of the box: This is after slowly shaving off the bulwarks. I am glad I bought a big pack of number 11 blades for this one.! I think there is more to take off, but decided to finalize it when the time comes to sand and shape the decks: I cut out the hull profile templates and started shaping the stern. It needs a lot of wood removed! Chuck recommend a rotary tool. I did that for a bit. It made quite a mess and made me nervous I was going to take off too much wood. I switched to sand paper wrapped around a dowel to take away more wood for the concave curve at the stern. The profile template says there is more to take off. This is my first solid hull model, and I think the challenge is going to be using the templates to get the hull shape correct. I seem to work pretty slowly, and I think this one is going to take me a quite while!
  25. First log and post here at MSW. For ages every time we moved, a ship's hull appeared, it was the Sovereign Of The Seas that my father started long before I was born (in 64) and he was "going to get to". After he retired he "got to it" and it was amazing. He continued with the Constitution, but was frustrated by all the cannons, so he started the Benjamin Latham. He passed away before finishing it, and helping my mom clean up his projects I guess I caught the "bug" and started building. I was several kits in when my mother passed. I was in the process of finding a museum or collection for the Sovereign, and planned to finish the Latham when a relative decided to take the models. I have no idea where they are now. I've continued to kit bash, and in 2022 decide I was ready to do the Latham justice. I have learned a lot most importantly learning that these models can and really should, take years. I want to thank the many skilled members here, as without a practicum on this model, their excellent and skilled builds have been a reference for details. mattsayer148, GaryKap, trenchguy, and jwvolz.
×
×
  • Create New...