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Need Help Identifying Grandfather's Ship


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Hello,

 

I just received the ship, imaged attached, and need some help with identification.  This was a ship my grandfather started restoring that was passed to my farther and now me.

 

I do not believe they were able to make much progress at all and I would like to at least strip off the old paint, repair the rigging and sails, as well as missing pieces.

 

My first question is any idea the make or model of this ship?  Or how to determine what the sale sizing and quantity should be?  From there is there any place to order the rigging and sails from?  I am an engineer so am typically good with my hands and repairs, but I know nothing about modeling ships.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Also this ship is big, like over 40" X 14" X 40" I can provide detailed dimensions once I am home.

 

Thanks!

post-22190-0-54116300-1445262407_thumb.jpg

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Nice model. She is a three masted schooner. You can google that term and see hundreds of photos of existing and historic ships that have this very common rig.

My advice for the restoration is to use the sails already on the model if you can. If you can not, make templates from the old ones and sew new ones from fabric that is cream colored, not bright white.

If the old sails are strong enough, take them off and wash them by hand in a very mild soap solution. and dry them flat on a towel.

Make a full size pencil drawing on a big sheet of paper, just trace the profile of the model,  and carefully indicate where all the lines come from and go to on the model onto your drawing. Photograph all the details too.

Clean the entire model with Q-tips dipped in warm water, two square inches at a time. If the dirt wont budge, work up to stronger solvents starting with more soap, then Alcohol, then Turpentine, then Thinner. Do every square inch on the model, it won't take as long as you may think.

You will have some difficulty in finding rigging material that matches the old stuff, and the old stuff is likely too far gone to use.

Ask for Carpet or Button Hole thread at a sewing store.

I found this photo after searching for "Antique Three Masted Schooner Model".

Note that you depend on the titles the uploader used, and they often use the wrong name and in this case in this search there were many photos that were NOT three masted schooners, or even schooners.

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Edited by JerseyCity Frankie

  

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 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

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Cletus ?,

 

Interesting project, especially as it's been handed down to you.

 

From what I can see, it looks like a three masted fore-and-aft schooner. Fore-and-aft means that the sails are set along the centre line of the ship. It doesn't look as though there any yards, the spars set across a mast from which square sails are hung. So, it's quite a simple rig and shouldn't be too difficult to repair.

 

I wouldn't have thought this was a kit, so any replacement parts you would probably have to make yourself – although if you can gauge the scale, you might be able to buy some of them. The sails you would probably have to make, although that is not too difficult.

 

I am sure many members here would love to help you, but it is is not easy to see the model clearly in your photo. Would it be possible take a few more pictures of the model from different angles and against a more neutral backdrop? My own advice would be to only remove so much rigging, paint, etc., as is necessary and only replace that which is missing, carefully matching it to the existing part. That way much of the original will remain.

Edited by Stockholm tar

Kester

 

Current builds: Sherbourne (Caldercraft) scale – 1/64th;

 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl (half model) 1/8th" – 1'.

 

Victory Bow Section (Panart/Mantua) scale – 1/78th  (on hold).

 

Previous build: Bluenose ll (Billings) scale – 1/100th.

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