Papa

Pilot house wheel under construction using tooth picks and styrene. Not prefect put it is mostly hidden anyway.

The Texas is in place. I am now working on some details for the pilot house. I was inspired by Kurt Van Dahm's Chaperon to include the ship's wheel and a stove in the pilot house.

I am speechless. Amazing work

Glued the Texas on today. I discovered after I had glue on everything that the etched line showing where to put the Texas was significantly off center. Had to measure and draw some new guidelines; seems to be good now.

I've painted the Texas and assembled the pilot house. Notice that I added some 1/8" sq and 1/16" sq reinforcements. This is especially important when one uses water-based paints as the sheets have a tendency to warp.

Attaching the roof trim around the skylight.

I have attached most of the decorative railings. Everything fit perfectly together. The skylight is done and attached. I assembled the skylight fully before attaching to the deck to ensure that it was square. I am working on the Texas (which I placed on the skylight for the photo). I decided to assemble it before adding the 1/32" sq. battens. The battens are a bit  more tricky to add this way but I was concerned that they would interfere with bending the fore and aft sections. Although the sections are pre-bent using a supplied jig, there is a lot of fiddling to get the curve right when everything goes together. Since the battens are laid over the grooves that need to expand as the sections are bent, i thought it best to do them last.. I may actually get this model finished in less than 1 year!  I appreciate all the "likes" and comments.

Ron

Finally got to adding the bull rails. Also adding the photo-etched rails and decorative supports.

Thanks Blighty. It has been a fun build.  A great vacation from rigged ships.

The hurricane deck is coming along nicely. I am using  strip styrene to make the bands on the stacks and sheet styrene for the decorative crown at the top of the stack. I also mitered the top railings on the stair rails rather then the butt and overlap joints shown in the plans.

That must have made for some messy stern wheels! I guess I need to get some model chickens for back there!

So it is literally a chicken coop?  Wouldn't that need some ventilation. I thought it might be for a "seat of ease".

Started constructing the various and sundry items for the hurricane deck. Here are shots of some poles, galley stacks, hog posts, and chicken coop. (can someone tell me what the "chicken coop" is for?

Well, Thanks. I hope I can keep up with frequent postings.

The hurricane deck is on. 

Had a 2-3 month absence from the shipyard while camping in Florida. Now I am back at work on the Chaperon.  Here are the 2 latest photos.

MikeB4,

Of these 4, I have only built the Latham.  Planking was not too difficult since there are no real sharp bends and the planking directions were very clear on how to taper the planks (My memory is not great and perhaps I followed the directions in "Planking the Built-up Ship Model" by Jim Roberts). I think the Mayflower would be the most difficult because of the extreme curves at the bow.  I gave up on my Santa Maria model since i messed up the bow planking so badly, and it has a similar hull to the Mayflower. The Whale Boat might be the easiest simply because it is smaller, on a larger scale and less to plank over all.  Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Ron

Leesburg, VA

Hi Scott,

I am also a misplaced Yankee, Born in Lynn Mass, raised in Saugus, went to UNH, and Brandeis (Grad school). Moved to Maryland in 1969 to work for Uncle Sam.  Retired now and live in Leesburg, VA

Ron

I am 73 and recently started Model Shipways Chaperon, leaving 2 ships unfinished (Victory and Grenado) as i desperately wanted to get away from masts and rigging! I strongly recommend Chaperon as a totally different build experience.

Ron

Thanks Kurt. You are correct about the rain, unless they added scuppers.    Anyway, flush is much easier.

Ron

I have a question from anyone who has built the Chaperon.  It is not clear to me if the cap rails that are bent around the edge of the boiler deck are to be installed flush with the deck or centered on the edge of the deck.  Any advice will be much appreciated.

Ron

Your decking looks real fine, as does the rest

thank you

I purchased the Chaperon after spending two weeks camping on  the Mississippi River in West Memphis, Ark. 

I think it is the best MS kit I've every had.  Here are 3 shots of my progress to date.

If I had better organizational skills I'd have done a build log.

Ron Gove

Rob,

 

You say a fair time ago, if any company warranted a part with a time limit I would say the part would be replaced in that time frame. How long is a fair amount of time. Not to cause a hullabaloo but you may not be fair to Model Expo in requesting a new hull that is not defective but hacked by a previous modeler.

 

It is not a perfect solution but you may be able to use a filler, wood putty, and reshape the hull. and a repaint may not be perfect but this was an older freebie.

 

My thoughts, no disrespect intended.

 

John

I totally hacked up the dory towed by the Benjamin Latham.  ME sent me all the parts for a new dory and it had been more than 5 years since I purchased the kit.  I think they really want you to finish their kits because then you are likely to buy another one.

Ron Gove

Tut tut ....brain fart..that's a new one on me in what way dose this function work I mean it sounds qwite sereus contion poor old you is it painful have had it checkt out. Whatever its qwite a croud turn of frase a bit nicer could be mind blank or well some thing nicer robin

 

don't you thinke

OxfordDictionaries.com: Brain Fart:  A temporary mental lapse or failure to reason correctly.

  I didn't know how else to explain my stupidity on this issue.