MarkCC

I was able to spend a good chunk of time over the weekend working on the Philly. I got the basic frame of the ship together without any major mishaps. So far the kit instructions are pretty clear and the drawings are really helpful. Taking advantage of suggestions and tips from other build logs, I dug out some of my son's old leggos. They really are as great as advertised for clamping at right angles and as small sanding blocks. After adding the cockpit floors and doing a bit of sanding, I think I am ready to begin thinking about planking. This leads me to my first bit of uncertainty. Given that this is a flat bottom boat, how does the lowermost plank join up with the bottom? My inclination is to bevel the edge of the bottom to match the curve of the bulkheads. I am pretty sure that this will work, but I am open to other suggestions. Having a lot of fun so far. Thanks for looking. Mark

First look and Inventory. Of course the kit arrives on a day when I have an appointment right after work. I am able to take a sneak peak right after I get home, and my first impression is “Boy, that’s bigger than I thought it would be.”. But fortunately it is not to big to fit into my work area. After my appointment I get a chance to take a closer look at the kit. My initial impression is favorable. The kit was well packed and easily survived some dents in the shipping box courtesy of FedEx. The laser cuts in the wood are clean and it appears the pieces will come out easily. So first thing is to do a complete parts inventory to make sure everything is there and nothing is damaged. Here is what it looked like with everything spread out on the kitchen table. For scale the table is about 4′ across. Everything that is supposed to be there is there and in good condition. While going through the inventory I take the time to mark all of the round and square stock with their dimensions. I also label the parts in their plastic baggies and store them in an old cigar box. Once the inventory was completed it was time to begin studying the plans in expectation of beginning the build on Friday, which I just happened to be taking off. This is gonna be fun. Mark

Hey, thanks for the tips on the Drexel Gunther & JP. Some good ideas there. Being a flat bottom ship I was not sure if I would need any sort of cradle for it. I just got the chance to open the box & take a quick look. It is quite a bit bigger than I was thinking. I will be able to inventory the parts a bit later tonight. Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated. Mark

A cradle to hold the Dremel for cases where I want to be able to carefully hold and maneuver a piece of wood with my hands. For the ship, I will wait to see how big it is before I come up with something to hold that. Mark

According to FedEx, my package has been delivered! Very exciting! Mark

Hi Chuck. I was not aware of any model ship clubs in the area. Will have to check that out. I will also have to look into Ships in Scale, for me all new hobbies must be accompanied by several new magazine subscriptions. Thanks for the tip on the Dremel. I already have one, forgot to put it on the list. I have been thinking about how best to construct a cradle to hold it securely in position on my table. I don't think I want to be operating it in one hand while holding the part in the other. Seems like a recipe for disaster. Mark

Assembling the Tool Kit. Once I took the plunge and ordered my first kit, I had some time to think about what tools I will be needing. I already have a pretty wide assortment of basic modeling tools. What I lack however are tools unique to modeling in wood. I want to avoid spending a lot of $ on tools which will be of little or no use, otherwise this could very well turn into a tool collecting hobby . After spending a good part of last weekend scouring the internet on ship building tool kits I figure I will be needing the following as a minimum starting tool set, at least for getting started on building and planking the hull. My plan is to pick up new tools only as I find I really need them. At least that is the initial plan, but we will see how long before I convince myself that I really need that mini-lathe and milling machine. Clamps. Lots of em and in many different sizes. Metal push pins. Pre-reading the instructions for the model gave an idea for using these to assist the hull planking. Mini drill bits and a pin vise. For drilling tiny holes. Razor saw and mitre bot. For making clean, square cuts of wood strips. Jewelers file set. Approx 2′ x 3′ piece of tempered glass. Will provide a nice flat surface for laying out and gluing pieces. Can also double as an oil paint palette. Small tweezers and forceps. X-Acto handles and assorted blades. Mostly #11’s and the scalpel type. Small table vise. Yellow carpenters glue and CA glue. Most of these items I already have. The rest will be easy to pick up and best of all, won’t cost too much. Mark

Hello Everyone. New member here starting my first wooden ship build. I am not quite sure how it happened, but a couple weekends ago I stumbled across Mamoli's website and got hooked on the idea of building a wooden model ship. I spent a lot of time growing up building plastic model kits, and I have dabbled in model railroading as well. So I have some experience, but nothing this intricate or in wood. It will be challenging and I am really looking forward to getting started. According to FedEx the kit will be delivered today . As one might expect, being brand new to the hobby I found the choices in kits and manufacturers overwhelming at first. This website really helped me get my bearings. I quickly settled on this particular kit for the following reasons: Model shipways seems to have a pretty good reputation for producing high quality kits with decent instructions. The Philadelphia is an interesting ship visually without appearing ridiculously complicated. I also have some knowledge of the history of the battle in which the ship fought and the fact that it is a somewhat obscure piece of our history appeals to me. Popular opinion on the internet indicates that this is should be a good ship for a first build. The model contains all of the basic elements that go into the larger ships, such as the frigate USS Constitution, like frame over bulkhead planking and relatively simple but complete rigging. The price was reasonable. ​After choosing the Philadelphia I was delighted to find three build logs in progress using the same kit by Chuck, Steve and Bart. So I have been following their progress which is going to help a lot. Mark