chuckthedragon

Well, Sal, maybe next time . . . . I'm excited about the work you're doing on the rigging. I'm planning to follow your example. Happily for me the plan includes making sure I have all of my attachment point in before I permanently step the masts😁. You are awesome to do all of that work for the wedding! Blessings on your house! Chuck

Sal, she's coming out beautifully! I love the fact that you decided to ignore the "warnings" in the instructions about adding detail because it would be too difficult. Your work on the bowsprit and jibboom is inspirational to me! In other words, I will be copying you😊 You probably already know that William H. Webb designed and built the Harriet Lane. I know it is late in the game, but I just this week discovered that Webb published a portfolio of his plans in 1866 or so. The plans are on internet archive. As it turns out, he built a first ship in 1855 that is identical to Harriet Lane, the America, for the Russian Government. The bad news is that the kit is very inaccurate in certain respects, location of the wheel, use of chain trusses, number of boats, shape of the water closets, all of which you have already completed. Also the kit omits a gaff on the foremast which is shown on the sail and spar plan of the America. The plans for both ships are downloadable as tif files. Here are the links, in case you chose to take a look. https://archive.org/download/WEBB-BodyPlanCrossSectionsPlanHalfBreadthPlan/America - body plan%2C cross-section%2C centerline section%2C half-breadth plan%2C %26 gun-deck plan.tif https://archive.org/download/WEBB-BodyPlanCrossSectionsPlanHalfBreadthPlan/America - spars %26 sails.tif https://archive.org/download/WEBB-BodyPlanCrossSectionsPlanHalfBreadthPlan/Harriet Lane - body plan%2C cross-sections%2C centerline section%2C half-breadth plan %26 gun deck plan.tif https://archive.org/download/WEBB-BodyPlanCrossSectionsPlanHalfBreadthPlan/Harriet Lane - body plan%2C profile%2C half-breadth plan%2C %26 berth deck plan.tif

Nice job on the nibbing!!!

Nice work with the sails Jason. Hope you're watching carefully - the sewing part I mean Keep up the great work!

Jason you're doing a great job! For your first ship you're really going all in. Good on you! Couple of thoughts, though you're probably well beyond this. I don't know how you are stropping your blocks, but some black thread works wonders. I use a thicker black thread and attach thread to the blocks with Gorilla gel CA. Also, again probably too late, consider getting some aftermarket blocks from Syren or Model Shipways. You've done such great work that the blocks that came with the kit don't do you justice.

Jason! Don't know how I missed all of your progress! Your solution to the chain problem looks great!

Nice! Really excellent solution and execution, Sal!

Your Harriet Lane is really masterful. I was glad to spot your build log before I started my kit. I'm going to copper her bottom based on your example. I'm going to build her armed as she was in late 1862 just before her capture at the Battle of Galveston, with a X inch Dahlgren on a pivot forward of the foremast and a 30lbr Parrott gun on her fore deck. I look forward to watching your progress!

Good for you on the sails! As my Admiral always says, go big or go home! I forgot to mention the pin racks you added to the main gallows and the bits - they will be very handy indeed. I really wish I had thought to add them. Great idea!

Jason! She's looking great! I'm excited for you! Depending on how much rigging you'll do, consider adding the shroud cleats suggested in the rigging plans. Given all of the lines that you have to belay, having the extra belaying points greatly helps avoid belaying more than one line to a pin. Keep up the very excellent work!

Thanks for the compliments, Jason! I finally go to a point where I thought my planking could tolerate the naked light of day. As to your masting problem, the bottom of the mast passes through and rests on nothing. The fid passes through the fid hole and the fid rests on the trestletrees.

Jason! Hope all's moving ahead (flank speed preferably) on your Fair American build. Please post some news!😉

Jim! Enjoying your progress. I too thought to solve the problem of the cramped space for the aftermost guns. When I built the FA the first time in the late 90's I ended up leaving the aftermost guns off the ship. I tried to take advantage of the logs of more expert modelers and move the cabin bulkhead back a bit and respace the guns. I wish I had moved the bulkhead farther aft. I never did think of the headroom problem for the cabin guns - great catch! Looking forward to pictures of your revision to the stern of the Wendy Kay!

I meant to say that I admire your efforts to make replacements for the cast parts that come with the kit. That inspired me to do the same thing. It also inspired me to check for mini-kits of things my "workshop" is not equipped to fabricate. I learned about Chuck Passaro Syren Ship Model Company from the forum and got the ships wheel and stern lantern kit for 1:48 scale. Great kits and excellent instructions.

Good morning! I hear you about the frustration on the chains! Mine came out a bit uneven, but I could live with it. I'm working on moving pictures from my phone to my computer. I thought I would be able to post some and hour ago, but I sent myself full sized images which my computer refused to download. I have since gone back and sent usable reduced sized images. Which look like they finally made it through the interweb! She absolutely loved it! Her sisters are all jealous!