thibaultron

Part 05 I decided to create a different trailboard for the Carrie Price. Rather than use a modified Willie Bennett trailboard, and have the same type of design on two different models. Here is my new design, it is based on the one shown on the drawings from the National Archives for the Kathryn. The Kathryn had a solid gold colored eagle head, but I chose to use coloring similar to that on the Nathan Dorchester (see photos Part 01).

Part 04 By the way here is what the sails should look when furled. Compare this to the box art in Part 01 Note the forward bow in the mast. This is shown in the drawings. I'll have to check on other skipjacks. My drawing of the Carrie Price shows a straight mast.

Part 03 After some more research I found that the chains attached to the bottom of the rudder are not safety chains to hold the rudder on. They are instead used to prevent the dredging cable from getting between the rudder and rudder post. Here is more information on the dredging winches and oyster dredge. From National Archives from archives for Skipjack Kathryn. The original picture was quite large, and a lot of clarity was lost when I reduced it to fit the forum requirements. Here’s a close up to make the text easier to read From National Archives from archives for Skipjack Kathryn. The original picture was quite large, and a lot of clarity was lost when I reduced it to fit the forum requirements. More a close ups to make the text easier to read I have been busy, and not much has been done on the skipjack, but some more progress will be posted later. For those interested, I'm posting this build using Firefox. I was unable to post using my normal browser Internet Explorer.

Part 02 The first major concession to my skill level, is that I decided to leave the raised deck seams that came on the model. I was afraid I would scar the deck surface too much trying to remove them, and the plank width looks OK. I assembled the hull, stem, stern post and deck, before looking closely enough at my plans. The detail on the stem area is not correct, and I had to remove it as detailed later, with everything together. If you are going to build this model, do those steps first! I then filled the gaps at the joints with Tamiya putty, using shaped popsicle sticks to get into the tight spots. This putty sticks to skin well, so use gloves! Most of the filling was where the stem and stern posts meet the keel, as well as along the deck to hull seam. Filled Gap at the stem keel gap Filled gap at the stern post keel gap. You can also see where I will have to extend the rails to meet the transom. I also cleaned up the wheel house and installed it and the cabin sides. These will all be painted white, so I figured why try assembling them after the individual parts were painted, then have to touch up the joints. I had installed the railings when I discovered the problems in the bow area. Once again correcting them would have been easier before assembly. The first minor problem is that while mostly correct, the stern railings need to extend further back, I’ll fix that a little later in the build. Now to the modifications needed at the bow: Plan Drawing of bow. Assembly drawing from instructions The model has the rails end at the, for lack of a better term, the knightheads. The large “H” shaped assembly that goes on either side of the bowsprit (5) butt. In the drawing they extend to the fore end of these (4). The “knightheads” as shown in the drawing (3), sit inside the hull, over the waterway area. There is a board that attaches between them over the top of the bowsprit butt. On the model the knightheads are cast even with the outside of the hull, and the rails terminate at their aft edge (4). Additionally the bottom portion of the knightheads are cast on the hull and the tops and the cross piece are a separate casting that is to be glued on top of this (3A & 3B). With the draft necessary for the manufacture of each piece, this leaves them diamond shaped in cross section when done. Not flat. There is not enough “meat” on the parts to be able to shape them to look good, if I was willing to overlook the position error. Also you have to install the bowsprit before the top part can be installed. This makes fairing the two parts difficult, as the hull and bowsprit are different colors, and I plan to paint the hull before the bowsprit is installed. The bowsprit on the real skipjacks was varnished not painted, as simulated with tan paint on the cover art. The upper brace shown in the drawing (1) is cast poorly on the model. They are oversize, not straight, and one was broken on my model. I’ll have to make new ones. See the photo above of the Caleb Jones. The drawing, Bennett plans, and photos of other skipjacks show the trailboards as thin flat boards attached to the stem (2), with thin decorative trim along the top and bottom. On the model (2) these are deep ridges top and bottom, more like ribs (2). There is an additional board above the railings at the top of the knighthead (4), not quite as long as the knighthead. Below are photos of the bow after I had removed the stem brace and trailboard ribs, but before I had removed the cast knightheads. Partially modified stem area. Rails end too far aft, also a better view if the filled gap between the stem and keel Hull trimmed flush at bow I added one of the new knightheads, it still has to be trimmed for length and height New port knighthead New port knighthead The kit transom had the name Carrie Price cast in raised letters. I figured that this was unlikely on a workboat. Tacked on wood letters would rot quickly, and as described earlier the Push Boat would probably damage them. The other option would be to have them carved into the transom. These too might be damaged over the life of the skipjack. Also the pictures I found had painted lettering, so I decided to go with decals. I filed and sanded the letters off. Transom name E. C. Collier. Note the rudder safety chains at the base of the rudder, and the attachment for the steering gear. Sanded transom To be continued.

Part 01 This is a build of the Skipjack Carrie Price using the Pyro Chesapeake Skipjack Oyster Boat model kit. After some research I found out that the Lindberg/Pyro kit is a model of the Carrie Price as recorded by Howard Chapelle. After I started the kit I found the name cast on the transom, but had not noticed it before I started my research. The Carrie Price is one of the projects in “American Ship Models and How to Build Them” by V. R. Grimwood and Howard I. Chapelle. I am using the plans in this book to build and update this kit. I am planning to depict her as build around 1895. I’m not going to make this a museum quality model, but will do my best to make it a good one. According to the Chapelle drawings the model comes as close as I could measure to 1/64th scale, the same as the book drawings. This will be somewhat of a slow build, as I am also working to expand my shed/shop, and the finished section is a mess, with “stuff” from the unfinished portion (enclosed, but no insulation, electric, etc.) piled into the finished area and my work area. Also I decided to do this build log after I had partially assembled the hull, so I will have to describe some of what I have done so far, without the benefit of before and after photos, in the first parts. I also have the help of cats in writing this build, so have to take frequent “Look, I want attention, so I’m sitting/walking/sleeping on your keyboard.” breaks. This is my first model in quite some time and my first build log ever, so please bear with me, if you decide to follow this along with me. I do not know all the correct names for all the various parts of the boat, but will do my best. Modeling suggestions and corrections to the names I use for the parts welcome! I will be using information in the Grimwood book, information I found on line, the drawings for the Willie Bennett by Model Shipways, and the book “Model Boat Building: The Skipjack” by Steve Rogers. Box Cover Art The kit is fairly close to what is shown in the drawings, but does have several problems. Here is a list of those I have found so far: Minor, but paint scheme shown on box wrong. The Chesapeake Boatmen were superstitious about painting blue on their boats, the exception being blue in the field of the American flag, or bunting. This was generally used only on the trailboard decoration. Also the decks were painted white, not left natural. Red copper paint was also the standard at the time for the anti-fouling paint. The cabin tops were generally green or a slate gray, from my research, still looking into this. The trailboards below the bowsprit were ornate, the kit has nothing decal or otherwise for them. I have no information on what the Carrie Price’s trailboards looked like, so I will use a modification of those detailed in the Willie Bennett kit. The Bennett trailboards have features that are common on examples I found of other trailboards. (besides I already redrew the Bennett’s trailboards for my own use). Additionally the drawings indicate a bird figurehead at the end of the trailboards. The Bennett has such a figurehead. I will use the same graphic as on the Bennett drawing on the end of these trailboards. I plan to print one on the end of the trailboard graphic, and then shape the profile of the stem to match. I will not try to crave a 3D figurehead. Trailboard Ida May Trailboard for Caleb W. Jones. Note the stem brace that is similar to the Carrie Prices. Trailboard of the Nathan Dorchester Port trailboard graphic I will be using for the Carrie Price. It will be about 2 inches long on the model. Here is a roughly cut print of the port trailboard placed on the model to see what it would look like. The print is cut too thin at the fore end to fit between the soon to be removed detail. Note also the original railing and knightheads. I have just started to remove the stem detailing at this point. The numbering for the points below should have started with 4,5, etc. but somehow was reset when I copied the text to this post, and I can't seem to change it. Please bear with me as I learn. As an interesting side note, if you look at the pictures of the Jones and Dorchester, the bowsprit does not rest on the stem much past the hull, on these two. I’ll have to look closer at the Bennett plans and the Rogers book. There are some major fit problems in the pieces, nothing that can’t be fixed with some putty, but they must be corrected for a good looking finished model. See the stem keel joint in the cover art picture. There is no oyster dredging equipment included in the model. This is actually a bonus for me, as she was built before the use of power dredging winches, and thus the deck casting has no marks where the winch parts might be attached. The down side is that I will have to build 2 hand powered winches, for which I have found some photos/drawings, but none with dimensions. The stem in the trailboard/rail/ bowsprit area is incorrect. I’ll explain when I get to that section. See the heavy detailing on the box top The railings in the bow and stern do not extend far enough. Rope coil castings in the deadeye and stern railing areas are terrible and incorrect, I will remove them. The mast is a little crude, but most importantly badly warped. I will have to make a new one. The boom is also warped, but I may be able to use it with modification. The casting is fairly straight side to side, but curved vertically fore and aft. The long booms on the real boats sagged, but my boom is curved up rather than down! I have not decided whether to make a new one (with or without sag), or remove the sail attachment detail from the top of the boom, invert it and remake that detail. I’m leaning toward making a new one, with detailing that matches the proportions of the ones on the mast I will have to make. The furled sails are just wrong! The jib is not too bad, in real life it would have been furled tighter, but this could pass. The main sail on the other hand angles in the opposite direction from the mast rake! The main sail is attached to the mast via mast hoops and thus the leading edge should always be close to the mast, it can’t pull away as shown in the model. I’ll make new sails, I have not decided whether furled or set. I can use the plans from my Willie Bennett kit for rigging, and sail construction. On the prototype skipjacks the bowsprit has made with a downward curved hog or bow. This was cut into the shape of the bowsprit, it was not steamed in from a straight spar. On the model the bowsprit is a straight spare. Also, as is not atypical on plastic models, the fittings on this, the mast, and the boom are cast quite massively. The model part also has no round to octagonal to square transition area, as shown in the plans. The model overall though is accurate in dimension and overall shape, a good starting point. As a note: The kit includes two ship’s boats, this is correct. The large boxes in interior are also correct. They are engine covers. Maryland law dictates that the skipjack itself may not have an engine, sail driven only. This is a measure to limit oyster harvesting in hopes of preventing overfishing. The auxiliary though is allowed an engine. If the wind is insufficient for dredging the boat, oddly enough called a “Push Boat” is lowered and used to push the skipjack. If the wind is good, the boat is not used. The second boat provided is the one used to get from the shore/dock, to a moored skipjack. The engines on the auxiliaries were generally automobile or similarly sized motors. Push Boat drawing from Nation Archives. Note the lack of a rudder. The Push Boat direction is controlled by steering lines (see below). Push Boat in operation. Note the rigging for controlling the direction of thrust, from Nation Archives. Push Boat “Thrust Pad” on the E. C. Collier, from Nation Archives I will show some small sections of the plans to illustrate where I will be making some of the modifications. Other than the hull/railing details above , most will be in the rigging area, so I will just show photos of my progress for that.

Thank you!

True, but my house has several cats, who like to "help", so I do all my modeling in the shop. The workbench presently has 3 plastic models in progress (I'm trying different methods to simulate the look of wood on the plastic, for them). Also the reconstruction of a 144th scale Type V sub with interior that I built, admitidly from a prepainted kit, that fell and broke at the seams. Trying to locate the deck piece for the bow now. If I can't find it, I have another kit I can raid, but do not wish to ruin a complete kit for that. It is one of the Takara series kits (came in I think 7 boxes). I had to buy a box of 2 complete kits to get it.

While I understand some their outlook, the owner is still doing all the design work. If you were using their design, I can understand it. The CAD I use goes for about the same price as this program. Like I said I plan to buy it, and really wouldn't be selling any designs anyway, but it might be a concideration to some.

No it will be a little while before I start on the Alert. I am expanding my shop, and until that is finished, I'm only working on a few plastic models. about 1/2 my shop is electrified and insulated. Now I'm finishing the rest, and I can barely move in the original 1/2, as everything from both halves is piled in it.

For anyone interested. The HMS Alert 1/96th "kit" is presently being offered on Ebay. Item 111603301795, for about $40 with shipping. I just bought one and wanted to pass on the information.

JUst watched a bunch of your videos, Paul. Thanks!

I've seen this program, and plan to buy it in the future, as I can't afford to buy plastic kits for all the buildings on my layout. One negative aspect of this and similar programs, is that any designs you develop, are basicly the property of the software company. You can not sell that building design, because they hold the rights to all the patterns used to generate the textures (sidings, wood grains, etc.).. For something similar for ship/boat designs, that might be a big consideration. My CAD and photo programs have no such clauses.

Very nice model, well done!

Years ago I bought a commercial die filer on Ebay. When I get my shop finished, I'm going to set it up. one note to anyone building one. The files must cut on the down stroke, unlike hand files which cut on the "up" stroke compared to the tang. If you are going to use a file in the die filer, you need either the special files built for them wefalck has, or to silver solder or braze a new mounting end on them. Luckily my filer came with a set of files. Mine is sized more for larger (model steam engine size) metal castings than fine ship model pieces, though. There are 2 main types of die filers. The regular ones do not have a tilting table, the ones with a tilting table are called “Butterfly” filers.

I'd like to thank you for this wonderfull build log!! Great writeup, pictures, and clear descriptions.

MDF (particle board) has no strength, over time, under tension. In ship modeling this may not matter as much, but every shelf, piece of flooring, or furtniture I have has gone out to the trash over time. It also swells if it obsorbs water (major problem with floors).

Here is a great video on airbrushing by the owner of Badger Airbrushes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsW-vN0_lHw&list=PLCBpnrOqQtw0q8e3ET10-hp_Vd9suOzri&index=13 While he of course recomends his produces, he also does not do so exclusively, nor is he afraid to tell when you should by another brand. Lots of useful beginer, and advanced stuff. The War Gamer Consortium site has a lot of great airbrushing info.

Nice model! I moved to Baltimore in 1977, and followed the Pride's journeys and visited her many times, when she was in port.

Nice work! Many years ago I was clamping a part to one of my models with super glue. I left it to set over night. The next day I removed the clamp and then grabed it by the bottom pad. The glue had sat all night without setting, but instantly set gluing the pad of my thumb flat on the c clamp base pad. Took and hour and most of my bottle of de-gluer to work my way around the edges repeatedly until it came loose.

I'll be following this build also! I'm presently building the old Pyro model of the skipjack "Carrie Price", and have both the Midwest and Model Shipways kits waiting, in the wings. In the future I pland to scratch build the Carrie Price in 1/32nd scale to match the MS Willie Bennet.

For Mr. Todd. You can have both craftsmanship, and RC. I've seen some beautifully detailed RC ships.

Thanks!

Same on the USS Constelation when I visted her a few years ago.

"Zincs" are still used to protect modern boats from Galvanic corrosion. They are bolted to the hulls and or outboards and corrode away sacrificaly to protect the boats other metals. Generally they are replaced regularly. They are indeed a powdery grey color as they corrode.

I don't think 3D printing will kill the hobby, anymore than plastic models, laser cutting, or resin casting did. Manufactures simply have to adapt. As far as models that are completely 3D printed, great, more subjects will be available, just like when plastic models came out. If 3D printing gets cheap enough manufactures can start selling printed kits. Not everyone will be willing to generate their own files for complex subjects, nor will they have a 3D printer of great resolution in their homes for a long time. As far as laser scanning, that's great, but you need and original to scan. Let's take Model Railroading (my other hobby) as an example. I like the Santa Fe Railroad, in the steam era. My problem is that the SF built almost all of their steam locos in house, to their own designs. 95% of those locos were either never offered by manufactures, or made in now rare and very expensive brass locomotives. I therefore either have to shell out BIG bucks, or do with generic models decaled for the SF. There are some models that have the correct frame and drivers for the loco, and others that have tenders that are close, but that requires buying 2 or more locos to make one. 3D printing would be a great help. I could make my own locos (maybe), but 1 would probably take me years.