Chuck Seiler

Mark, I noticed that I failed to leave spaces between the dash after my name. Can you fix that?

Prelude to Build. I ordered the model shortly after I made the decision to build it. I didn't know how long it would take to get to me. I managed to get the last one available and it was at my doorstep in a few days. I suspect Kurt Van Dahm's articles in "Ships in Scale" magazine is making this a popular kit. Check of Model Expo site shows they have some back in stock. Hopefully we will some more Philly builds pop up. I plan to hold off on the build until mid August. (I wrote this in mid July, so it seemed like a longer wait, but mid August is almost here now.) I have taken the opportunity to start browsing through the plans and checking out the pieces-parts. I went through the instructions, noting the flow and references to specific part numbers, then I located the parts, at least the ones in the start of the build. I kind of want to just start building based on my experience with the scratch build, but I realize that it MAY be to my best interest to actually follow the instructions. I know....it's a guy thing. I have mixed emotions on the instructions. Some parts are very detailed and some parts are sketchy. The instructions spend a couple paragraphs discussing lining off the hull for planking, use of battens, etc, then says 'but you won't need to do that since the bulkheads are already marked. No worries...the beginner now understands better what these markings are and how you get them in future models. THEN as it is discussing the planking process, it explains how to plank down to the wale, shift to the interior ceiling planking without a by-your-leave, then shifts back to planking the exterior. Huh? What? Section headings would have been nice. In general, it is good. This is a big beast!!! At least from what I am used to. I look forward to the build. I have checked out Buccaneer Kurt's article Ships in Scale. I understand he is contractually limited from doing a build log on Philly, but I hope he will chime in from time to time here. Hey Kurt, your picture of the Philly next to Washington is backwards in the most recent article. I'll see ya in a bit.

I concur with Clare!!! No kits??? What am to do? I guess I will work on the other 5 projects. Welcome back Bob. We look forward to continued work on Higaki Kaisen.

It does, but with a slighter curve. The companionway leads from the main deck down to the 'tween deck area. It is about 5 feet wide and 10 feet long. The aft 'cabin' is basically the poopdeck, which houses the officer's quarters and dining area. I only found one photo I had which was even close to depicting them, and it wasn't all that good. I will see if I have others.

The companionway hatch on the Star of India (1863-Ilse of Mann) is cambered. I am not sure why they are sloped...probably more to do with reducing sail area (and I am not entirely sure that is valid) than for water run off, but the end away from the opening can be lower because at that point, the person would be further down the ladder and had no need for more headroom.

Hopefully it will be large enough that I can actually get m fingers into the tight spaces. I guess tha tis what tweezers are for, eh? Yeah, I had to give it a try and see what the fuss Kurt was making was all about.

Tony, Thanks. After asking the question, I found the download on the Museum site. I probably should have known it was there, since our club is affiliated with the Museum. From what I hear, they will be launching San Salvador in September or October. Your model looks great!.

Reubens?

Tony, Tell us a little about the kit. Where did you get it/who made it? What do you think of it? What is your interest in the San Salvador?

Nigel, Thanks. Maybe I will do some experimentation. I have been using the old pencil-along-the-edge method. It works relatively well but thre is always room for improvement.

Nigel, Are there any issues with sanding the deck once the glue is all dry? Nigel/David B/All, I understand David's method is for when you are slicing planks from a sheet where width of plank=thickness of sheet. Instead of painting the edge, would it work if you glued the tissue to the sheet and made the slices after it dried?

Div, Welcome to the build...good luck. I think you will enjoy it...sandwiched in between bouts of frustration. It is a great model. It won 3 of 4 places (out of 8 models) in the San Diego County Fair Design in Wood competition (Scale Model Class). A couple recommendos. Check out my build log and see the procedure I used to make sure things were square in 3 dimensions. Also read my recommendations regarding reinforcing the stem piece BEFORE it breaks off.

Greetings all. Thanks for stopping by. Pete, when are you getting back here to San Diego? Bob, Community build? It's a bit pricey, but sure, why not. I'll get a head start on this one, eh?

Greetings all....I'm back!!! Model Shipways Kit (modified) Scale: 1:24 1/2”=1’ Circa: August-October 1776 Happy Moon Day!!! I am starting my build log on the 45th Anniversary of the Moon Landing....just because. I don't actually plan on building until the first or second week in August, so I can do some summer stuff. I will be doing some pre-build planning and I may add my thoughts here. I wanted to get started early so that my small but dedicated band of followers can find a seat. Background. This will be the SECOND time I built PHILDELPHIA. The first time I did so as a scratch build based on the Model Shipways plans. I will refrain from going into why I chose PHILADELPHIA and save some bandwidth by giving you the link to my scratch build (if I can figure out how to do it). Chux scratch Philly. It was a fun build, but I had some challenges. I have found that there was an additional sheet that comes with the model that does NOT come when you buy the plans separately. This includes all the templates for bulkheads and other pieces parts. Thanks alot Model Expo for not including that!!! At any rate, it was an interesting build. I entered it into the County Fair Design in Wood Exhibit (Scale model class) and actually got an offer to buy it. By then, I was too attached to it to sell. I offered to make a model from the kit, with boxwood and holly replacing the planking and primary exterior wood, as in the scratch. I figured with the kit as a guide and my experience from the previous build, I could build it much faster and I could correct some problems...both with my build and what I perceived to be with the plans. It also gives me an opportunity to work in a larger scale. Some of those corners got really tight at 1/4" scale. History. Again, so save bandwidth, I direct you to Philly History. PHILADELPHIA and the history behind it is fascinating. It (and its associated fleet, not to mention many of its adversaries) was built in a few weeks. It 'lived' only a few months. IIRC only PHILADELPHIA and ROYAL SAVAGE were the only two ships sunk during the battle, but within a week or two of the battle the entire American fleet was sunk, scuttled or captured-but it was considered a strategic American victory. A century and a half or so later, it was discovered, raised and preserved. It exists today, on display in the Smithsonian Institution. NOW your interest is piqued, eh. I think you REALLY want to go to Philly History and read more about it. Other suggested readings include: The Gunboat Philadelphia and the Defense of Lake Champlain in 1776. by Lundeberg, Philip K. The Gondola Philadelphia and the Battle of Lake Champlain. by Bratten, John R. Benedict Arnold's Navy, by Nelson, James L.

To all my faithful followers and lurkers.... It has been awhile since I posted in earnest, so I figured I would give an update. My intent was to get the model back from the Fair on 07 July, then get to work wrapping it up, culminating in one final photo shoot. I still need to add the awning, sweep rack and sweeps. I had been grinding away at either getting PHILLY ready for the Fair, workingon the project I was working on at the Fair or working AT the Fair almost every weekend since February. I figured I would take some time off to do some summery stuff before I finex'd. As it turns out, one fellow seemed to like my model (among others) and indicated he was interested in purchasing it. I think I will encourage him to be a judge next year. It was kind of a waffley interest, but interest all the same. When I spoke to him, I told him that unless he was REALLY set upon that model, I was reluctant to sell it, since I had gorwn more attached to it (and I had not really intended to sell it anyway, but $1100 is $1100). In his offer he had mentioned a commission. I suggested that in lieu of my scratch Philly, I build a heavily bashed kit, with all the planking, major timber and rigging replaced. He is considering it. I have been thinking about this for a few weeks. This option gives me the opportunity to build Philly again, fixing problems I had before, in a bigger (more managable) scale and with some templates I didn't have before. My thought is that if the person does not want to buy it, I can enter it into the Fair next year and see if I can sell it. The issue with keeping that model and selling the scratch one (aside from emotional attachment) is that a case for the larger one will cost me a fortune. The downside to all this is I will NOT be able to spend time on the project(s) I had hoped to complete (Continental Sloop Providence). We shall see. At any rate, I have the kit and I expect to start sometime in August. Keep your one good eye peeled for my Build Log up in the kit section. kirkout

Steve, Absolutely, ask away. Keep in mind this is scratch, not kit, so some of the process will be different. For reasons to be outlined in a future post, I will probably build/start a build log on the PHILADELPHIA kit myself, so I will be more familiar with the actual kit build. My plan is to substitute boxwood for most of the basswood planking and 'stuff'. I also plan on 'correcting' some of the issues I found. --If you check out the Smithsonian link I posted earlier, you will see the virtual 3D Philadelphia. It indicates that the bulkhead behind the forward platform is either non-existent or not a full bulkhead and that there is access under the platform. I plan to model that in there. --In the kit/plans it appears the bailing well/bailing pit has four walls. It makes sense that the well would have free access to the whole bilge so water in the ship could be removed. It seems that all or some of some of those would be gone. Again, I polan to model those. One thing you should start thinking about up front...how do you plan on displaying the model. As I was completing the model and was getting ready to mount it, I found I did not have anything to anchor the pedistals to...so a big gob o' glue is holding them in. Start a build log and i will come over. I suspect some of my followers will come as well. I believe Kurt Van Dahm, who is doing the Ships in Scale build checks us out from time to time. Maybe he will check yours out as well.

That's why he gets the big bucks. When is the featherboard coming out?

I see that it has two 3" drums. Could it handle a wider piece of wood if you used the same grit sandpaper on both drums?

Okay Per, now you did it. I'm going to have to get one of THOSE too. <sigh>

Mick, You will not be disappointed.

I tend towards the Dremel. I have several. While one is corded, I find myself using the cordless 770 (7.2 volts) most of the time. One recommendation if going Dremel...get rid of the collets and get a micro chuck.

Bob, Looking really good! That oughta get you at least Honorable Mench at the Fair next year. Now that you have fleshed it out a bit, perhaps you could go into detail about the open stern area. Also, what are your plans for finishing? will it be natural or will it have some colouration?

I am seeing alot of people using wipe on poly. Can you stain once you have applied it or do you have to stain beofre you apply. Obviously you can paint over top of the poly wipe.

Is that HMS THUNDERER I see? Ooops. Can't be. Has a US flag.