ccoyle

I realized that I had not included the half hull model that I had made for this model when I referred to this thread from the Maria theread so here it is .
 

 

 

 
I will be making a new half hull based on the latest information from Roger.
 
Michael

I have this kit, and even started on it.  Since then, it's been bumped to the way back burner.  She's a lovely ship, though, and I will be interested to see how your model turns out.  Good luck!

Thank you Russ and David, I was very pleased with how the Transom turned out . Here is another shot
 
Best Regards,
Pete

Pete, don't pull up that chair too soon!  This project is several spots back in the queue.
 
Ron, are you speaking of the printed parts sheets needed to cut the parts from the wood billets?  Too bad about FSB going out of business, although their web site is still up.  This explains why their inventory has been declining over the years.  It'd be nice if someone purchased the right to update and produce the FSB line of kits.

This is a review I originally published as part of another thread back in 2014. I have updated some of the comments to reflect the current status of the companies mentioned in the review. Enjoy! 
 
When I bought this kit back in 2014, Freedom Song Boatworks were still in business, but they have since folded. One of the reasons I wanted to get hold of a FSB kit was to compare it to a Midwest Products kit. Interestingly enough, Midwest is also now out of business. Kits from both companies still turn up on eBay, although since far more Midwest kits were made and distributed, they remain much more common on auction sites.
 

Evangeline comes in a box about 18" long by about 3.75" square.  There is a color photo of the prototype model on the box.  The contents were packaged neatly. I can't say for certain, but I always got the impression that FSB was a cottage industry, and this is certainly reflected in the kit's design, materials, and packaging.
 

The kit comes with three plan sheets showing hull construction details, hull top and side views, and sail plan.  The plans are nicely drawn and easy to understand.  At 1/24 scale, you can see that the kit produces a fair-sized model. There are two two-sided sheets of simple instructions and a one-sided sheet of basic wood modeling techniques. This of course pales in comparison to what's found in any Midwest kit.  No parts list is included.
 

Evangeline's hull bottom and sides consist of four pre-cut pieces of pine.  All other sheet parts are printed and must be cut from two sheets of balsa, one sheet of pine, and one small sheet of ply.
 

The kit's strip wood and dowels are of good quality.  One of the dowels is slightly crooked, but considering the age of this kit, I'm not too surprised by that.  The included sail cloth has a nice, fine weave.
 

The fittings include various kinds of wire and cordage, eye pins, nails, aluminum tubing, brass portholes, and 'blocks' that are actually plastic (or perhaps ceramic) beads. As you can see, there is a very small quantity of parts and materials here, which reflects both the smallish nature of the craft being modeled and the simplified design of the kit.
 
So, what are my impressions?  Overall, I am satisfied.  I knew up front that the kit builds straight out of the box into a simplified version of a Tancook whaler and is intended for beginning modelers, and I also knew about the printed parts, so I'm not shocked by those features.  My only disappointment is with the plastic beads for blocks -- those will absolutely have to be replaced, but fortunately there are not too many of them.  The rest of the kit components are of good quality -- no complaints there.
 
As I said in the introduction, one of my reasons for purchasing this kit was to see how it stacks up against comparable offerings from Midwest Products (of which I have built two and have a third in my stash).  There is, IMO, no comparison between the two when it comes to considering their suitability for first-time builders.  Midwest Products kit instructions are the gold standard for kits of this sort - they are extremely detailed, profusely illustrated, and as fool-proof as kit instructions are likely to be.  The two sheets of instructions offered by Freedom Song are well below that standard.  The other big knock against Freedom Song is the large number of printed parts that must be cut out.  Seriously - printed parts is ancient kit technology.  If I'm going to shell out the $59.95 MSRP for this kit (Note: all prices mentioned in this review are listed 2014 prices; keep this in mind when bidding on any eBay offerings), I expect all the parts to be at least die-cut, same as Midwest kits are.  Additional style points must be deducted for the plastic beads for blocks.  I cannot fathom why the more usual wooden blocks were not included, or even plastic or cast metal blocks.  And lastly, we should look at pricing.  The most expensive MSRP for any kit in Midwest's beginner's line is $89.99.  Four of Freedom Song's similar kit offerings are listed at $99.95.  When you consider what you get from Midwest for significantly less money, the choice is pretty easy.
 
However, there is a final point to be made.  Freedom Song does offer several kit designs that are not available elsewhere, of which Evangeline is but one example.  For a modeler wishing to build one of these designs, or for someone intending to super-detail the basic model, Freedom Song kits are certainly acceptable. Be advised, though, that if you want to keep an eye out for FSB kits on eBay , you may have to wait a very long time for one of these uncommon models to turn up.
 
Cheers!

Next step is the making of the fore course and its attachment to the yard. It will then be fixed on its mast.
I will show the making of the sail step by step and hope to convince one or two fellow builders that sail making is manageable with a moderate effort.
 
First step is to find out the dimensions of the sail. I took a suitable plan sheet where all the masts and yards were shown. Usually the yards are shown in full frontal view and therefore the sails can be drawn directly into the plan.
For the head of the sail a parallel to the yard is drawn at the position where it would be with sails set.
The depth of the sail can now be found. The width could also be taken out of the plan but it must be checked with the actual yard.
At the head it must be a little less than the distance between the yard arm cleats. The width at the foot is the width between the cleats of the yard below. The foot of the main course is 2 clothes wider than the head. The fore course has parallel sides. The width of one cloth is between 24 and 30 inches. I took 10 mm which corresponds to about 25 inches.
 
All those and a lot more details can be found in James Lees’ The Masting And Rigging of English Ships of War.
 
My sails are simplified because in furled conditions hardly any details are visible. The seams are pencilled on (on both sides) and no linings or bands are shown. The boltrope is not sewn onto the edge of the sail but glued into the hem – in this scale the difference is hardly visible and the result beats any of my clumsy attempts to sew a rope onto the edge. Also the foot of the sail is straight – no curve is necessary.
 
Finally the size of the sail is reduced by 30...40% to produce less bulk on the yard.
 
For the hem I ad about 2,5 mm around the sail. This is rather wide but some extra width is needed to fix the boltrope inside the hem.
 
 

Sails pencilled into a plan sheet
 
 

Sail drawn
 
 

Check with the finished yard(s)
 
 

Sail pencilled onto the fabric (both sides!)
 
 

The sailmaker has the sail ready for hem and boltrope

Short overview of building process of the Double boat of Russian Imperor's fleet by Master Korabel.
Illustrated instruction can be taken here.
 






























http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/Ez4QDNQ1JNkDhD/8140182.0/800/p/16.jpg

http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/Ez4QDNQ1JNkDhD/8140183.0/800/p/17.jpg

http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/Ez4QDNQ1JNkDhD/8140184.0/800/p/18.jpg

The model is almost complete now. I have some finishing touches to add: some coils here and there and some black paint dabs to cover up some shiny glue spots. All in all, I am pretty happy with the whole thing with exception of the stern. That part kept me in trouble for most of the project, but I am very happy with wood filler and its ability to mask some pretty tremendous errors.  The rigging was a lot easier than I had anticipated. I am still looking for a good pair of long reach tweezers with flat grabs which can get the threads from a distance. I have found that most tweezer makers have pointy tips and a very small region that will grab thread well. I am not even sure how to describe what I am looking for,,,,,
 
So, some images....
 

 

 

 

 

 
I want to thank all of you for helping out so much, some directly and some without even knowing it. Your posts and information shared on this site have been a real wealth of input and knowledge. It is greatly appreciated!  
 
My next project is already on the bench: the Kate Cory brig. This is a little larger and more detailed. I am looking forward to the added detail work, and this time, a coppered hull. I will try to post more than I did with this model... now that I know this site exists!  The Cory will be the last solid hull work for me. I am planning to go to plank builds next and want to get through a build of the Surprise. We'll see.  
 
~johnb

Here's to a new log!  I am starting the Kate Cory now, a solid hull 1:64 scale model from Model Shipways. The hull came in excellent shape with only minor re-shaping to get down to the final measure. The hardest part was the bulwark thinning, which they recommend a chisel to carve down. I used a Dremel Tool.... Wear a mask if you try this, as basswood in the lungs is a bit unhealthy ;-)  
 
The sterm of the ship needed the most wood removal and reshaping. That also prompted me to use a Dremel sanding drum, which worked swiftly. With some hand sanding afterwards, the whole thing is coming along nicely.  I used a smaller chisel to square off the deck levels and trim the bulwarks closer to the deck. 
 

 

 

 

 
Next I am going to work on the deck bevel and do some fine sanding to the exterior. I want to add a shiny coat of varnish or something to make the coppered portion stick better... raw wood is a no-go for self adhesive copper tapes it turns out, as a simple experiment shows that smooth wood just lets the tape peel off. Testing is good.
 
~johnb

This is a review I originally published as part of another thread back in 2014. I have updated some of the comments to reflect the current status of the companies mentioned in the review. Enjoy! 
 
When I bought this kit back in 2014, Freedom Song Boatworks were still in business, but they have since folded. One of the reasons I wanted to get hold of a FSB kit was to compare it to a Midwest Products kit. Interestingly enough, Midwest is also now out of business. Kits from both companies still turn up on eBay, although since far more Midwest kits were made and distributed, they remain much more common on auction sites.
 

Evangeline comes in a box about 18" long by about 3.75" square.  There is a color photo of the prototype model on the box.  The contents were packaged neatly. I can't say for certain, but I always got the impression that FSB was a cottage industry, and this is certainly reflected in the kit's design, materials, and packaging.
 

The kit comes with three plan sheets showing hull construction details, hull top and side views, and sail plan.  The plans are nicely drawn and easy to understand.  At 1/24 scale, you can see that the kit produces a fair-sized model. There are two two-sided sheets of simple instructions and a one-sided sheet of basic wood modeling techniques. This of course pales in comparison to what's found in any Midwest kit.  No parts list is included.
 

Evangeline's hull bottom and sides consist of four pre-cut pieces of pine.  All other sheet parts are printed and must be cut from two sheets of balsa, one sheet of pine, and one small sheet of ply.
 

The kit's strip wood and dowels are of good quality.  One of the dowels is slightly crooked, but considering the age of this kit, I'm not too surprised by that.  The included sail cloth has a nice, fine weave.
 

The fittings include various kinds of wire and cordage, eye pins, nails, aluminum tubing, brass portholes, and 'blocks' that are actually plastic (or perhaps ceramic) beads. As you can see, there is a very small quantity of parts and materials here, which reflects both the smallish nature of the craft being modeled and the simplified design of the kit.
 
So, what are my impressions?  Overall, I am satisfied.  I knew up front that the kit builds straight out of the box into a simplified version of a Tancook whaler and is intended for beginning modelers, and I also knew about the printed parts, so I'm not shocked by those features.  My only disappointment is with the plastic beads for blocks -- those will absolutely have to be replaced, but fortunately there are not too many of them.  The rest of the kit components are of good quality -- no complaints there.
 
As I said in the introduction, one of my reasons for purchasing this kit was to see how it stacks up against comparable offerings from Midwest Products (of which I have built two and have a third in my stash).  There is, IMO, no comparison between the two when it comes to considering their suitability for first-time builders.  Midwest Products kit instructions are the gold standard for kits of this sort - they are extremely detailed, profusely illustrated, and as fool-proof as kit instructions are likely to be.  The two sheets of instructions offered by Freedom Song are well below that standard.  The other big knock against Freedom Song is the large number of printed parts that must be cut out.  Seriously - printed parts is ancient kit technology.  If I'm going to shell out the $59.95 MSRP for this kit (Note: all prices mentioned in this review are listed 2014 prices; keep this in mind when bidding on any eBay offerings), I expect all the parts to be at least die-cut, same as Midwest kits are.  Additional style points must be deducted for the plastic beads for blocks.  I cannot fathom why the more usual wooden blocks were not included, or even plastic or cast metal blocks.  And lastly, we should look at pricing.  The most expensive MSRP for any kit in Midwest's beginner's line is $89.99.  Four of Freedom Song's similar kit offerings are listed at $99.95.  When you consider what you get from Midwest for significantly less money, the choice is pretty easy.
 
However, there is a final point to be made.  Freedom Song does offer several kit designs that are not available elsewhere, of which Evangeline is but one example.  For a modeler wishing to build one of these designs, or for someone intending to super-detail the basic model, Freedom Song kits are certainly acceptable. Be advised, though, that if you want to keep an eye out for FSB kits on eBay , you may have to wait a very long time for one of these uncommon models to turn up.
 
Cheers!

This is a review I originally published as part of another thread back in 2014. I have updated some of the comments to reflect the current status of the companies mentioned in the review. Enjoy! 
 
When I bought this kit back in 2014, Freedom Song Boatworks were still in business, but they have since folded. One of the reasons I wanted to get hold of a FSB kit was to compare it to a Midwest Products kit. Interestingly enough, Midwest is also now out of business. Kits from both companies still turn up on eBay, although since far more Midwest kits were made and distributed, they remain much more common on auction sites.
 

Evangeline comes in a box about 18" long by about 3.75" square.  There is a color photo of the prototype model on the box.  The contents were packaged neatly. I can't say for certain, but I always got the impression that FSB was a cottage industry, and this is certainly reflected in the kit's design, materials, and packaging.
 

The kit comes with three plan sheets showing hull construction details, hull top and side views, and sail plan.  The plans are nicely drawn and easy to understand.  At 1/24 scale, you can see that the kit produces a fair-sized model. There are two two-sided sheets of simple instructions and a one-sided sheet of basic wood modeling techniques. This of course pales in comparison to what's found in any Midwest kit.  No parts list is included.
 

Evangeline's hull bottom and sides consist of four pre-cut pieces of pine.  All other sheet parts are printed and must be cut from two sheets of balsa, one sheet of pine, and one small sheet of ply.
 

The kit's strip wood and dowels are of good quality.  One of the dowels is slightly crooked, but considering the age of this kit, I'm not too surprised by that.  The included sail cloth has a nice, fine weave.
 

The fittings include various kinds of wire and cordage, eye pins, nails, aluminum tubing, brass portholes, and 'blocks' that are actually plastic (or perhaps ceramic) beads. As you can see, there is a very small quantity of parts and materials here, which reflects both the smallish nature of the craft being modeled and the simplified design of the kit.
 
So, what are my impressions?  Overall, I am satisfied.  I knew up front that the kit builds straight out of the box into a simplified version of a Tancook whaler and is intended for beginning modelers, and I also knew about the printed parts, so I'm not shocked by those features.  My only disappointment is with the plastic beads for blocks -- those will absolutely have to be replaced, but fortunately there are not too many of them.  The rest of the kit components are of good quality -- no complaints there.
 
As I said in the introduction, one of my reasons for purchasing this kit was to see how it stacks up against comparable offerings from Midwest Products (of which I have built two and have a third in my stash).  There is, IMO, no comparison between the two when it comes to considering their suitability for first-time builders.  Midwest Products kit instructions are the gold standard for kits of this sort - they are extremely detailed, profusely illustrated, and as fool-proof as kit instructions are likely to be.  The two sheets of instructions offered by Freedom Song are well below that standard.  The other big knock against Freedom Song is the large number of printed parts that must be cut out.  Seriously - printed parts is ancient kit technology.  If I'm going to shell out the $59.95 MSRP for this kit (Note: all prices mentioned in this review are listed 2014 prices; keep this in mind when bidding on any eBay offerings), I expect all the parts to be at least die-cut, same as Midwest kits are.  Additional style points must be deducted for the plastic beads for blocks.  I cannot fathom why the more usual wooden blocks were not included, or even plastic or cast metal blocks.  And lastly, we should look at pricing.  The most expensive MSRP for any kit in Midwest's beginner's line is $89.99.  Four of Freedom Song's similar kit offerings are listed at $99.95.  When you consider what you get from Midwest for significantly less money, the choice is pretty easy.
 
However, there is a final point to be made.  Freedom Song does offer several kit designs that are not available elsewhere, of which Evangeline is but one example.  For a modeler wishing to build one of these designs, or for someone intending to super-detail the basic model, Freedom Song kits are certainly acceptable. Be advised, though, that if you want to keep an eye out for FSB kits on eBay , you may have to wait a very long time for one of these uncommon models to turn up.
 
Cheers!

Another quick update. (in the correct build log this time......)
 
Last for a few days as I am off camping in Weymouth for a few days.
 
Just a slight update on the carronade rigging. Decided to frape the loose thread around the tackle to leave a tidy finish, painted with diluted PVA and then trimmed off the excess thread. Might not be historically accurate to any degree but it leaves a neat and tidy finish I am happy with.
 
 

All kits of this maker have pre-cut planking.
 



 

Today I started by Building a cradle , while I pre soaked the material to finish the planking. Once the cradle was built I finished up the planking, athen I finished rough Fairing the hull. next it will need to be sanded with 600 grit, to get it ready for epoxy . I am very pleased with this build as it has been a challenge. Here are the results

While watching glue dry over the past couple of weeks, I began to fool around with what to do with the forecastle. The last few days, I came up with my conclusion, and did the deck planking that I'm going to do. The result is a margin plank at the perimeter, a strip of planking down the center, and a small band of planking at the aft end to support the barricade and belfry.
 
All of the planking is holly, with the margin planks cut from sheet, using card stock templates, and the rest from strip, fitted around the openings and bitts. The caulking is simulated with pencil and the treenails are again simulated with golden oak filler in drilled holes. Wipe-on Poly finished that work. I also added the the steam hatch and the coaming for the stove stack at this time. I probably won't add anything else until after the bulwark planking is in place.
 
Bob

Good day
 
Here is simple build OOB of 12 gun brigantine of admiral F.Ushakov from the kit of Russian maker Master Korabel
 
































 

scale 1/100
canopus class first class battleship
 
NOTE:i little speak and write english.sory

Thank you for your interest in "Newsboy" 1854,
 
Additional mast assembly and outfit fittings. A list of special "Newsboy" rigging fittings typical of the mid 1800's is listed below:
 
Spar Setup
 
(1) Royal yard parrel assembly (special fabrication)
(1) Topgallant yard parrel assembly (special fabrication)
(1) Upper topsail yard parrel assembly (special fabrication)
(2) Upper topsail yard studding boom quarter iron (special fabrication)
(2) Upper topsail yard studding boom iron (special fabrication)
(2) Lower yard studding boom quarter iron (special fabrication)
(2) Lower yard studding boom iron (special fabrication)
(1) Lower topsail yard clevis assembly (Britannia casting)
(1) Lower topsail yard truss assembly (Britannia castings)
(1) Lower yard truss assembly (Britannia castings)
(1) Boom sheet assembly (special fabrication)
 
Mast Setup
 
(1) Main mast crane (special fabrication)
(1) Fore mast cap clevis assembly (special assembly)
(1) Fore mast clevis assembly (special fabrication)
(1) Iron stay assembly (lower topsail yard stay) (special fabrication)
 
This post completes mast fabrication and the fitting of mast ironwork. When construction resumes, mast sections will be assembled and outfitted with blocks and rigging lines per Rigging Setup Lists.
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder

Hello again Shipmates!
 
Wow been a building on my little bitty boat every night for at least 4 hours.  So far about 80 hours. Getting closer though!. Since we had our last GAM (Whaling Term for a meeting of two whalers at sea,) I have made and installed the boom rest on the Spenser Mast and stepped the Mast. Doublings and top mast are made and installed. My Anchor Handing gear is also rigged but not tightened yet.
 
I have made and catted the little boats own anchors.  Railings are installed. About 10 cleats still need to be made not counting those on the boom.
 
Gosh I also have made some coils for the rigging and gear thus installed.  I have installed temp belaying pins. I am working on the scraper idea to make the pins. A hacksaw blade with a profile cut into it and held against a rotating bit of stock.  So far cherry wood  flies into a billion slivers. Bass wood turns into a fuzz ball. Next I will see what brass does.
 
The use of surgical sutures works pretty good. It also has the advantage in this small scale of being realistically rope laid.
 
I want to add an anchor buoy but I cannot find a ref. to tell me what color they might be. If anyone has the 411 please help me out. I want to put a buoy on my Hoy.
 
 
In other news.  It was on this date in 1986 that the submarine I was on USS RAY SSN 653 and two other submarines surfaced together at the North Pole. First time ever in history.  

continuation of work  

In my last update, I had made and fitted, but not installed, the main jeer bitts. They are now mounted. I have also made and mounted the main topsail sheet bitts. The other new items are the forward cranks for the chain pumps and their supports. As with the other deck fittings, the wood parts are boxwood . The cranks are blackened brass wire and the belaying pins in the bitts are blackened brass parts. As with the aft cranks, I chose to simplify them by merely bending the wire, rather than attempting a multi part assembly at this scale.
 
I'm now working on the next batch of guns.
 
Bob

Well, it's been a lonnnnnnnnnnng time since I've posted an update.  This is partly due to the fact that not a lot of progress has been made, partly because I've missed a couple of days at the museum and also partly due to the fact that I keep forgetting to take my camera with me when I go in to the museum!
 
A few more frames have been raised and hopefully the framing will go a little more quickly from now on.  I'm finally at the stage where the remainder of the frames are rough cut, so while I'm waiting for glue to dry on one frame I can be finishing the next one ready for fitting.
 
A couple of frames are going to need adjustment at the fairing stage as, for some unknown reason they're slightly too long - but too long is easy to cut down at the final fairing stage.
 
John
 

 

 

 

Well, as if I don't have enough projects waiting in the wings ...
 
Freedom Song Boatworks came to my attention many years ago.  Frankly, I find their list prices to be a bit steep, considering what comes in their kits according to their product descriptions (e.g. printed parts -- really?  In 2014?), but they have some unique offerings of American small sailing craft.  So, for some years now I have had them on my eBay alerts list, but usually it is one of FSB's R/C designs that has come up for auction.  But, finally, today I was alerted that a kit of Evangeline, a Tancook whaler, had been listed, so I snapped it up.  When I get around to building her, I will probably do some research with the goal of super-detailing the basic kit.  I'm very interested to see how one of these FSB kits stack up against the superb offerings from Midwest Products.  I will post a review of the kit when it arrives sometime in the next week or so.
 
Cheers!

Well, as if I don't have enough projects waiting in the wings ...
 
Freedom Song Boatworks came to my attention many years ago.  Frankly, I find their list prices to be a bit steep, considering what comes in their kits according to their product descriptions (e.g. printed parts -- really?  In 2014?), but they have some unique offerings of American small sailing craft.  So, for some years now I have had them on my eBay alerts list, but usually it is one of FSB's R/C designs that has come up for auction.  But, finally, today I was alerted that a kit of Evangeline, a Tancook whaler, had been listed, so I snapped it up.  When I get around to building her, I will probably do some research with the goal of super-detailing the basic kit.  I'm very interested to see how one of these FSB kits stack up against the superb offerings from Midwest Products.  I will post a review of the kit when it arrives sometime in the next week or so.
 
Cheers!

Welcome to the "Newsboy" 1854 build log,
 
1st the spars.  Key points include:
 
>>> Studding booms and studding irons were added (not shown on original plans)
>>> Spar design sketches were prepared using parabolic camber
>>> Spars were turned from birch dowels using a Jet mini-lathe
>>> Spars were turned using fine sanding sticks
>>> A digital caliper is a great tool for checking diameter during turning
>>> Rigging ironwork was a combination of Britania castings (Bluejacket) and silver brazed brass fittings (see photo)
>>> Design of rigging ironwork based on contemporary rigging plans
>>> Initial spar outfit based on Rigging Setup Lists
 
Pete Jaquith
Shipbuilder