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Found 23 results

  1. At long last I have started my CWM. This kit has been in my stash for quite some time. I saw no point in photographing the kit contents as there are quite a few Morgan build logs showing the parts. I will note that, contrary to the instructions, the center keel was a single laser cut piece, not 2 pieces. I do not know if this is still the case, but it makes for an easier start to the build. The photo shows my building slip set up to start test-fitting the bulkheads.
  2. Bought this decades ago and many years ago I assembled the frames left on the shelf and started again a couple years ago i am ar the point where the second planking is down to waterline I plan to copper with tape so I will post some current photos and pictures of the plans as I saw an ask for plan photos
  3. The plastic kit is H-330 1972 New box, bought off of Ebay. I washed it with Dawn dish soap and rinsed it in warm water. Debating on whether to glue the some part together before spraying Surface Primer L Gray, or, spray on the spruce first.
  4. 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
  5. Hi everyone out there. I have finally begun my new project, the whaler Charles W. Morgan based right here in Mystic CT about a hour away from me which is a big reason I chose this ship. I am a member of Mystic Seaport and have been on her many times. The last few taking many pictures of things most tourists don’t even look at. 😁. I was able to see her dry docked as well this summer while some restoration was being done to the hull. These ships are MUCH bigger out of the water. Sometimes you just don’t realize how much is going on below the surface. I bought a set of plans from Model Shipways (1:64 scale) that has 6 pages of very details drawings of everything I should need to get through the basic build. Of course there will be hours of supplemental reading and research to finish it off I am sure. This being my second scratch build I am quite sure I have plenty to learn about. In between painting rooms other house projects I have snuck in an hour here and there to review the plans and get started on the center keel and bulkheads. Time to sit back and enjoy the ride. Tom
  6. So I've started on a Charles W Morgan build, although somewhat intimidated by the speed and or quality of the currently documented construction projects for this ship. This model is a stretch for me, given the amount of scratch building involved and the somewhat cryptic instructions of this older MS kit. I got interested after building the New Bedford Whaleboat, and added this kit to my "to do" stack. Having finished Picket Boat #1 to my satisfaction, decided to defer the Phildelphia Gunboat and take on a more complicated project. I'm not retired (yet) and have many professional demands on my time, so I end up working in fits and starts and when I need the "therapy". I decided to go ahead and build the hull superstructure before planking to allow better access for clamps for the waterway, planksheer, rail and topgallant structure. That's where I am now (pictures below). The rail structure is a bit wavy viewed end on on one side, but overall I'm relatively pleased within the envelope of my skillset. I had a few disasters in terms of inadvertant breakage of thin pieces (mainly the main rail) after installation by a misplaced hand while working on another part, but managed to overcome that adequately. I still have to do some sanding on the main rail as the strip I used was a bit wider than the rail is supposed to be - that is evident in the pictures where the rail meets the laser-cut curved rail piece forwards. Next I'll plank between the planksheer and the mail rail to reinforce that area, and then likely add the wale and plank between the planksheer and the top of the wale. Then I'll go on to bands A-D The build logs and galleries on this and other sites have been a great aid. Bruce
  7. Hey everyone, Thought I should start my own build log for my Charles W. Morgan. However, when I started the build, I hadn't really looked at other build logs and of course by the time I did, I had already made an embarrassing mistake. The pictures below show the error -- I neglected to make sure the plankshear on both port and starboard sides ran out past the the bulkheads. You can see the gap formed between the upper planking and the outside of the bulkheads where the plankshear should be covering the bulkheads, especially amidship. Did I make a fatal mistake and should I start over? That is, should I tear out the planking, the stanchions, the main rail, and the plankshear, and do it over? Or if I fill the gap and place an artificial plankshear on the hull using a 1/16 square strip, could I "hide" the gap, or will I run into too many problems as the build progresses? Thanks, Jon
  8. My first wood model kit of this caliber. I am working on a 1/96 scale Yacht America from Bluejacket and just completed the USS Constitution from Revell a plastic kit with many wood enhancements and under full sail. Here is what I have so far.... This is where I started...
  9. The Charles W. Morgan whaling ship was launched in 1843, and is now a museum in Mystic Seaport CT. Bluejacket has made a large scale cross-section model, and also offers just the tryworks as a stand-alone model. It would make a great dislay next to a model of the entire ship. Here's the plans and instructions:
  10. I bought my kit of the Charles W. Morgan many years ago and quickly realized that it was way beyond my capabilities. I purchased it at the Mystic Seaport store at full price at the time of $225.00 (now $400.00) to give you an idea of how long ago that was. Now with several successful? builds under my belt I decided to gradually start the Morgan up again. I had previously gotten to the stage of cutting the rabbet and mounting some of the bulkheads and at some stage noticed that I had added one of the bulkheads in the wrong order. I successfully removed the bulkheads in error but on moving to my current residence a couple of years ago the semi constructed framework was damaged and the keel lost in the transit. I used the laser cut panel I still had that the keel was part of as spare wood as a template and wood to fabricate a new keel. I am in the process of using my build board (which I didn't have at the time I first started) to rebuild the hull framework. Also one of the bulkheads was slightly warped over the years. These are photos of the current stage of the build process.
  11. I am working on a scratch build of the CW Morgan whaler and started putting in the various chocks and holes in the bulwarks. I noticed that there is a hole for the fluke chain pipe on the starboard bow side of the ship but not on the port side. Am I correct in assuming that the fluke being referred to is the anchor fluke and a chain is attached to it that comes through this hole. If that is the case, what about the port side anchor? The pictures I took of the Morgan at Mystic don't have the anchors rigged to the boat. Currently, just a mooring line comes through the starboard side hole. I am not there yet and won't be for a while, but when the time comes, how are the anchors rigged if there are not symmetric holes? In the meantime I will be "googling" for pics of the CWM with the anchors rigged as well as searching the forums here. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Tom
  12. Well I'm settled enough in my new place to get started on a build. I'll call this my first build as any experience I have had, was a long. long time ago. Model is about 35 years old (guesstimate) of the Charles W Morgan my Artesania Latina. This model was donated a couple of years ago to the Living Boat Trust, I group of which I'm a member. The LBT maintain and occasionally build, wooden boats in Franklin, Tasmania. Bulkheads are router cut. Not sure if this would have been CNC given the age of the model. DIe cut parts, no lasers here! Lots of little plastic bags. I've got some partitioned containers to put these in. I think I have the necessary tools assemled. I just need to make up a board on which to build it and maybe a keel clamp - I have some aluminium extrusion and 3D printed clamps for that. Don't pull up a chair just yet, this could take a while! Regards Geoff
  13. I have always loved the lines of historic ships, despite being a 'certified land lubber' who gets sea sick easily. My first model was Artesania Latina's Harvey, built over an 18 month period from 2005-2006. My enthusiasm far exceeded my nascent skill set as I progressed next to the Charles W. Morgan , which many of you know to be quite a demanding 'built almost from scratch' model other than the keel, bulkheads and Britannia pieces. I began working on the Morgan in earnest in late 2006 and worked in her on and off through 2009 when I became stuck on how to fabricate the detailed and delicate skylight. Failed attempts led to frustration and the old whaler went into dry dock until my interest rekindled patience and perseverance with some spotty work in 2013-2014, then dry dock once more. In September 2020 I finally mastered the skylight (at least my version of it) and have been working steadily since then, now having fully painted and coppered the hull and built most all of the decks structures. I will be adding my photos to date shortly and offer this build log in the hopes that it brings another perspective to our forum and all of the great modelers whose Morgan's have been a source of inspiration and teachings for me. As well, I hope to add a spot of lightning-hearted humor as I document my failures as well as my small successes, seasoned liberally with a dash of prose here and there. All comments welcome - I teach in MBA programs both here in MA and in Luxembourg and am a firm believer in 'The Brain Trust' where the collective wisdom of the group far exceeds that of any one individual."
  14. After finishing the Mamoli CSS Alabama and the Amati Hannah ship in a bottle, I have decided to dip my toe in the “dark side” as @Bob Cleek put it - the dark side being a scratch build. I don’t think I’m ready or skillful enough to do a large scratch model so I’m trying another ship in the bottle. The Hannah kit was a lot of fun. Hopefully this scratch effort will be even more so. After I finished the Hannah, a friend gave me a bottle for another ship in the bottle build. It’s a peach cider bottle that came from Fredericksburg, Texas (which is famous for its peaches). Fredericksburg is also the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz so it’s got some nautical ties. My friend’s name is Morgan so I thought I’d try to build the Charles W. Morgan whaler and float it on an ocean in the bottle. 3 tall masts, 9 yards, and 19 sails! Oh boy. This is either going to be an amazing build or an epic fail. Only 1 way to find out which. Here we go!
  15. Now that I've shelved my HMS Lyme for the time being to build it as a future scratch build, I decided to start the Charles Morgan by Model Shipways. I won't get into the politics of whaling, and by building this model I don't mean to glorify that industry, but the ship is a beautiful vessel with a lot of history. It was built in 1841 and made 37 voyages, processing more whales than any other ship in history. It was purchased for Mystic Seaport in 1941, where it currently resides as part of the museum. A couple of summers ago I went to a wedding in Connecticut and took a side trip one day to visit Mystic Seaport and the Morgan with my family. My daughter had a great time going on the "pirate ship." It's well worth a visit if you can get out there, with other ships also as part of the collection. I'm particularly excited to build a model of a ship that I had the privilege of visiting. I was able to take a lot of pictures, which I'll show from time to time on this log (like the ones on this post). My plans for the build: The MS kit is based on the configuration of 1892-1908. I have the Leavitt book on the Morgan, and like the Constitution, the Morgan has gone through various configurations at the stern. I'll probably build the kit based on the kit's configuration, but I might do a little research to see if there is another that I prefer. At one time fake gunports were pointed along its sides which is not a look I want to replicate on this build. Like the Pegasus, I'm planning to paint with wood by either using natural woods or using stains in lieu of paints. The Morgan is primarily black with white accents, the bulkwarks and deck structures ochre, and the deck somewhat grayish. At one time I thought about using African Blackwood for the black areas, but was quoted a price of close to $700 for wood to make the build. A bit pricey, so I think I'm going to go with pear stained black for the black areas. I still need to think about the white areas - I might use holly, or in the alternative, I found a white stain by General Finishes that isn't too garish and covers wood and metal very nicely. The ochre areas will be in boxwood, and for the deck, I have one stain that will give that grayish look - but I might try some of the weathering applications out there to see things come out. My goal is to hopefully show the Morgan in a more weathered state - a little rust on the iron parts, oxidized hull coppering, etc. I also plan to display the model in full sail. There are a number of other great logs out there from which I will shameless borrow from - Texxn5 (John), Bruce Evans, Gerald Spargo, Joe V, Udo K, Scoot and Homer -- among other logs using other kits. They set the bar up high which is a good challenge for me to do the best I can do. In case you are interested, the Morgan underwent a big restoration project a few years ago. There is a real in-depth blog on the Mystic Seaport website which details with great pictures all the work that went into the restoration. It's amazing how these ships were built in the absence of power equipment: http://www.mysticseaport.org/morganblog/ Thanks for looking in!
  16. Hi everyone, I just finished building the Greyhound by Corel at 1:100 scale. I have placed a few pics of it in the Gallery. I just started my new build of the Charles Morgan and will post pics as I go! I purchased the kit from Model Expo and have been a long time customer of theirs. After inventory of everything in the box I was short 30 pieces of 1/16 X 3/32 X 24" and short 2 pieces of 1/16 X 1/4 X 24". I contacted Frank at Model Expo and these were sent out ASAP no problems! They do indeed stand behind their product. This is one reason I like getting things from them if they have what I'm looking for. The Keel, stem and stern post went together well and were all very straight. I tried something different this time and won't know how well it will work or how clean it will look until I start planking the hull. I took the center keel before gluing on the false keel, stem and stern pieces and after marking the bearding line used my Dremel tool sander instead of chisel. Then I glued the remaining flat surface to the full-size stem, false keel and stern pieces. I'd appreciate any input if others have done this and if it worked well for you. I then pre-shaped and dry fitted the bulkheads. Once square they were glued in place and I then did some additional bevel cutting and sanding. I suspect there will be some tweaking along the way. I then cut and installed the stern stems. Make sure you align the posts and watch the height making sure not to cut them too short. I then installed the Planksheer and even though I was careful I managed to break (several times) the part going around the bow. I then installed the stanchions and it's very important to make sure they are aligned and most important that when you install the mainrail (again I managed to break this very thin piece several times) they leave enough overhang so that it will accommodate the batten planks. I looked at a few other build logs at this point and of interest, after the hull was planked it was eventually sanded smooth. However, one would then have to add a fashion piece that is usually painted white along the outside of the plank sheer and I suppose main rail. This was troubling for me and I had to cut off all stanchions and realign to accommodate the stepped look. I really don't know if that was the correct thing to do or take the easy way out, sand the whole thing smooth and add the extra piece later??? Now, currently I'm struggling with the stanchions on the bow that go from the main rail down to the filler block. And, at the same time keep the exterior "future" planking aligned with the balance of other stepped planking. The problem is that the interior bow has this ceiling and waterway planks that are supposed to be sweeping up and smooth (just at the bow). I've taken this apart a few times and naturally busted up the plank sheer and main rail several times. I look at the blueprint sheets everything lines up but I just don't have the sweeping angle it needs. I'll keep messing with this until I get it! Meantime any advice is always welcome. Also, I'm thinking of getting a ropewalk jig. Is Model Expos as cheap as it looks? I'm also thinking of ordering a few different chemicals from Jax to oxidize the copper plates before I install them. I was then thinking of putting a sealer on them before handling and installing? I really like the way the Model Shipways picture on their kit looks. Frank said the guy that built it actually used paper! you could use a thick paper and still roll over it with the ponce wheel to get the rivet effect. But, I'll use the copper and will sample a bunch of different shades and methods. Do I want more realistic or what appeals to "me"!!!
  17. Hoooooo boy, where to even begin... Maybe some background: My grandfather was a prolific model maker, spending his retirement assembling models with what I can only assume were kits, judging by how long scratch builds seem to take. He passed away some years ago, and his models were either split between his children or sold - I recently inherited one of the ones we kept. That model is the Charles W. Morgan, and boy is it in rough shape. If the title didn't warn you enough, I'll say it again - this poor ship has seen much better days. Here are some pictures: Overview: Top of the Mainmast: The Bow: At the stern, I don't know what this is called, but it's one of many broken ... booms? There's a broken railing on the starboard side: A good example of the general state of the rigging: The hull has also been beat up (starboard forward): Aft on the starboard side: As you can see, there's lots of damage, and that's why I'm here. I need help. I don't know where to begin. I don't know what kit this is, where I can find plans, and what the right order of operations will be. To start, I'll be dusting - I know how to do that! Any tips, tricks, or suggestions are more than appreciated - at this point, I think it's necessary.
  18. Hi guys, since I am new at this I hope that it has been set up properly, and I don't get Capn's Mast before I get started. I'll be trying to post some pictures later today as I get started. This will be a slow progress as I am in no hurry, I am also completing a Revell Constitution, I'm retired - and I do have a life besides model ship building...cooking and good cold beer do come first...life does have priorities you know. I'm not sure if shipbuilding causes me to drink my beer or drinking beer causes me to build ships....that one is still being investigated, but so far no results...gotta have my Grog....not much of a Rum drinker, so daily Rations won't help much, however a good Malt Whiskey never hurt.... Anyway, back to ships. This kit has been of interest for many years, and I now have the opportunity to do my first wood ship. I have scratch built models of oilfield production equipment from wood and have enjoyed doing that for many years, so the wood, being intimidating but not overwhelming should be fun - but slow, so bear with me guys, and I'll try to keep current. Let the voyage begin....Bon Voyage and if I can get the pictures downloaded, I should be posting them soon.... Hello interested individuals, an update for this build log is that as of 10-10-2014 I have transferred my interest in building this log to my own website. If you are interested in following this please click on the link below to go to the website. There are quite a few pages of pictures in this log (MSW)that are missing due to a glitch that occurred earlier in the year. Therefore, I have committed my time to my own log, which has a lot of information for building this model in it. Sorry for any inconvenience, however, I think you'll like it better than this log. My site has a complete Build Log in it up to the point that I currently am at in the build. MSW is a wonderful site, and one can learn much from it. Please follow your friends and their logs here it will be rewarding. the link is: http://www.charleswmorganmodel.com Thanks, John
  19. I am reposting part of my original build-log, as the rest doesn't exist anymore. After that, I'll let the pictures explain the rest, as I have taken a lot of pictures at many different angles. The Charles W. Morgan was built in 1841 at the Hillman Brothers' Shipyard on the Acushnet River in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She cost $52,000 and was registered at 351 tons. During her 80 years of service, she caught and processed more whales than any other whaler in history. Her active days ended in 1921 with the decline of whale oil prices. The Charles W. Morgan was purchased for Mystic Seaport Museum in 1941, restored, and displayed there as a monument to the men who built and sailed her. The models specifications are as follows; Model Shipways Kit No. 2140 Skill Level...Advanced Length...30-3/4" Height...27-7/8" Width...10-1/8" Scale...3/16" = 1 ft. (1:64 ) Wooden Parts: Most wood supplied with this kit is basswood, there is no plywood in this kit. The precut wooden parts are all laser cut. You will find 16 sheets of laser cut parts in various thickness. 7 of these sheets will contain the small whale boats which is built in the bread-n-butter style. 1 of these sheets is cherry, amongst its various parts are the deck gratings which are very small. There are 6 different sizes of dowels, 21 different sizes of wood strips, plus additional wood sheets. The deadeyes and blocks are made from walnut and there are 3 different sizes of each; deadeyes, singe blocks, and double blocks. The frame work of the hull consist of 15 bulkheads, a two part center keel, a two part keel, sternpost, and stem. All of which is laser cut from solid wood so care must be taken so that the frame structure doesn't warp during construction. There is no false deck so the deck planks will be applied right over the bulkhead frames, again care must be taken so as not to end up with wavy planks since there will not be a solid backing to lay the planks on. The mast and spars are not pre tapered so you will have to shape them yourself. All the deck structures are built and planked from wood strips. If you would prefer not to build the deck structures this way then wood sheets are provided so they can be cut out instead. The hull is single planked so no second planking is supplied, but if you chose to add a second layer of planking, the instructions are included to do so. Metal Fittings: All the metal fittings are either Britannia or brass. These include a lot of fittings; windlass barrel, billet head, stern eagle, bench vise, grindstone, chocks, cleats, tackle hooks, and line tubs, just to name a few. The fitting's aren't to bad, some of them will require some cleaning, also some of them will require being replaced, which for the most part, isn’t to hard to do as far as making your own. You get two different sizes of chains, bass wire, and one size of copper wire. 1/4" tape comes with the kit for coppering below the waterline, but it is to big as the correct scale is 7/32" not 1/4". You could either trim it down to size or replace it with the right size of tape. Rigging: The rigging line comes in black and manila hemp. It is made from nylon. I will give you the sizes and stock no. cause you may want to order extra. There is no sail cloth provided and there are no actual sail plans, but if you are good at making them then you could do it with what they do show. No flags are provided so they will have to be made by following the instructions. WP1218.... 0.008" Dia. Black WP1210.... 0.021" Dia. Black WP1211.... 0.028" Dia. Black WP1215.... 0.040" Dia. Black WP1241.... 0.008" Dia. Manila Hemp WP1242.... 0.021" Dia. Manila Hemp Instructions and Plans: The kit comes with a 40 page nicely detailed instruction manual. (English is the only language.) It doesn't have progress photos in it but has a lot on instructional diagrams instead. There are 6 sheets of very well done plans. Plans are as follows; 1.Laser Patterns, 2.P-O-B Hull, 3.Hull Plan, 4.Hull & Spar Details, 5.Rigging Profile, 6.Rigging Sections. The plans are designed so that you can take measurements straight from the plans and transfer them right over to the model. Details: This kit offers a lot of detail and a lot of scratch building. With all the building required for this kit, coupled with all the available pictures of the actual ship, this build offers a lot possible approaches on how to build it. I myself am going with the weathered approach. Mine is more of a combination of what the Morgan looks like today, and also the look of still being an active working ship. As far as displaying you will need to get the base and pedestals yourself cause they are not provided in the kit. This is my point of view of this kit so far. Despite all the hard work, and scratch building that it takes to build this kit, it has been the most enjoyable kit that I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
  20. Officially got the Morgan under way a few days ago. I really should be working on a case for my Bomb Vessel Granado, but I was tempted... I hope everyone enjoys the ride here. I'm really looking forward to this build as something a bit different, since my last four builds were all warships. I won't get into much about the kit itself, since it is fairly well known. I have yet to fully evaluate what I'm going to keep and what I'm going to discard with regard to the kit pieces, in particular some of the Britannia castings. The rope will definitely be replaced, and possibly the blocks and I will replace wood where needed to avoid things like splitting issues when drilling basswood. Most wood will be painted, which is quite a contrast from the Granado build. The bulkheads have been cut out and cleaned up, which was a pain since they are plywood. A hobby knife struggles, but the laser cuts are too narrow to fit even tiny xacto saw blades. Moving on, I've cut the rabbet/bearding line, using a compass to get the line, and a copied paper template from the plans for the bearding line. The basswood keel was much easier to work with than the ply bulkheads...
  21. This is the start of my build of the “Charles W. Morgan”. From what I have learned, the “Morgan” was the longest in service and most profitable of any Whaleship. A “greasy ship”. Built at the Hillman Brothers Shipyard,(brothers Jethro and Zacharia) on the Acushnet River in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1841. She was built at a cost of $52,000.00 and was registered at 351 tons. She ended her whaling days in 1921. She has gone through at least a couple of restorations, the latest finishing this year at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and celebrating her “38th Voyage” with a trip from Mystic Seaport to New England destinations, including, Newport, Martha’s Vineyard, New Bedford, Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank(to play with the whales), Boston, and back again to Mystic. Part of the fun and experience of building a model is the research. A ship model build can take several years, as I am sure most of the builders on this site know, and the amount of time and research is not taken lightly and is quite a commitment. My wife and I have become members of Mystic Seaport since becoming interested in building this model four years ago, and have visited her (the Morgan) during the restoration a number times. My wife and I purchased “trunnels” with our names on them as a donation during her restoration, and hopefully were used during the planking. The books I have read as part of learning about whaling follow: Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Whaleboat by Willets D. Ansel, Sperm Whaling from New Bedford by Elton W. Hall, Whaleships and Whaling by Albert Cook Church, The Yankee Whaler by Clifford W. Ashley, also Ashley’s Book of Knots. The” Charles W. Morgan”, The Last Wooden Whaleship by Edouard A. Stackpole, The Charles W. Morgan by John F. Leavitt and The American Whaleman by Elmo P. Hohman. Have visited several museums in the area. Those being: The New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, The Nantucket Whaling Museum on Nantucket, The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem and of course Mystic Seaport, all in Massachusetts. Rich grounds for learning about whaling. I think I am ready. Sorry for the longwinded introduction. Feels like reading a chapter of Melville. Let the fun begin. Scoot
  22. Ahoy New here to the forum although I signed up many years back but never posted anything so I will start with this one. Okay shipmates this is a out of production and lost forgotten kit manufacture of yesteryear. I obtained this kit in 1954 been working on her off and on for decades on end now its time to get her done. The hull is still being fitted out and I just completed the three mast assemblies these old Marine model kits are old school kits back in those days they give you everything but a display case back then I paid $14.95 a lot of money back in that day but well spent compared today. Okay here are the pictures of what I have done thus far. I have a long way to go and it will all be posted here. Boats
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