Papa

Thanks for the link. Would be fun to have a ride in one of those.

Ok, here’s couple more angles. Thanks for the nice comment.
the photos really emphasize the flaws in the finishing!

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

Progress photo. Working on the pilot house. I am considering putting a wheel in there like I did on my Chaperon. 
I’ve also added some hinges. I drew them in SketchUp, made multiple copies and then shrunk the image until it looked about right. Then I cut them from the paper and attached with a dab of white glue.

Thanks

I am making progress on the deck furnishings as I smooth the hull of the C W Morgan (which build log will be updated in a few days). The stairway on the engine room, which goes to the yet to be built pilot house, was quite a challenge.

Finished captain’s cabin/galley waiting to be glued into place.

When I started my Caldercraft Granado several years back I had the same impression.  This is just a plastic kit made of wood instead of plastic. I built the Young America, Newsboy, and Essex from yellow box kits. Much more satisfying than today’s laser cut kits, though I’ve done my share of those! The instructions in the yellow box kits were like: take the pieces of wood and turn them into a ship. Refer to the plans for hints. Also be prepared to purchase 1000s more blocks as we don’t give you nearly enough.

Yes, I agree.  I haven't seen a build log for it before.  It is a model I've wanted to build for a long time; mainly because when I first discovered Model Shipways around 1966 or so, the City of Pekin was about the only kit I could afford. Never did purchase it though since I was lusting after the Young America kit. My new wife got me the YA as a wedding present!  I found the current CoP on eBay a couple years ago and it has in my stash daring me to start it.

Looks like I need to touch up some of the paint.😑

I started this kit a while ago and have postponed starting a build log for no particular reason. I am a professional procrastinator.
This is a very old kit with minimal parts.  A machine carved hull; some blocks of wood for the deck cabins, some strip wood; and various white metal castings. There are 2 sheets of plans. One for the original tow barge and a second set showing the conversion to steam power.
When I took the contents photo I had already started to lay out some reference lines on the deck.
Some observations:
1. I discovered that the blocks for the deck houses were sized totally different from the plans.  I planned to scratch build these anyway
2. The strip wood were of sizes that were way off scale for their required application.
3. The bow shape did not agree with the plans; hence all the plastic wood.
As in all solid hull kits I've seen, the bulwarks are oversized by design and have to be shaved down to the proper thickness.
The kit included scribed sheetwood for the decking but i decided to lay individual planks with 1/32x1/32 stripwood. Initially I varnished the deck and then later decided to paint it deck grey.
After installing the decking one has to cut a bazillion little notches in the bulwarks.
Most recently I test fit her on a walnut base.
At this stage I installed the rudder.  This was a bit of an issue.  The casting included had no resemblance to the rudder in the plans.  Also, the drawing was too small to really understand what the rudder actually looked like.  Thanks to Google, I found an archeology study of some sunken barges of the same period as the CoP that had a good drawing of a typical rudder.  I scratch built a reasonable copy for my CoP.  I also had to scratch build 2 props as these were not provided in the kit. The result is passable, but they are not very visible anyway.
Next step is to start making the deck houses.
Final note: I am building the CoP at the same time as I am planking my Charles W. Morgan.  I need to do something as the glue dries or the planks soak. LOL
 

Thanks for the link. Would be fun to have a ride in one of those.

Ok, here’s couple more angles. Thanks for the nice comment.
the photos really emphasize the flaws in the finishing!

Progress photo. Working on the pilot house. I am considering putting a wheel in there like I did on my Chaperon. 
I’ve also added some hinges. I drew them in SketchUp, made multiple copies and then shrunk the image until it looked about right. Then I cut them from the paper and attached with a dab of white glue.

Progress photo. Working on the pilot house. I am considering putting a wheel in there like I did on my Chaperon. 
I’ve also added some hinges. I drew them in SketchUp, made multiple copies and then shrunk the image until it looked about right. Then I cut them from the paper and attached with a dab of white glue.

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

Ok, here’s couple more angles. Thanks for the nice comment.
the photos really emphasize the flaws in the finishing!

Ok, here’s couple more angles. Thanks for the nice comment.
the photos really emphasize the flaws in the finishing!

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

I started this kit with the intent of making the Amelia Earhart version of this iconic Lockheed aircraft. I forgot when I started it was so long ago. It is a very poorly made and poorly fitting kit. Attaching things like landing gear is pure guess work as there are no reference points or indents to show where the struts go.   Ditto for many other parts.  I kept putting the kit aside in frustration with filling and sanding and filling and sanding over and over. At one point I tossed it in the trash but later retrieved it. I think that’s when I lost the decals. 😣
Anyway I finally finished it with a philosophy of good enough, far from perfect.  The only positive outcome was that I learned how to produce my own decals. 

Right on! I doubt that anyone who looks at the model will have a set of templates to check that the hull exactly matches the prototype. If it looks good it is good. Don’t obsess over the exact shape. When I made my Young America, Newsboy, and the Essex, once I had a smooth hull I was happy. I never worried if the shape was exact.

Thanks again for the kind comments guys. 
 
I need to take back some of the disparaging things I said about the Trumpeter vinyl parts...I did find a glue that worked with it. Perseverance pays off every now and then. 🙂
Here on this side is the Trumpeter vinyl piping using E-6000 glue to bond it to the plastic parts.
 

I added the wheels and other parts to the side that was unfinished (steps 16 and 17).
After this, will do some more shading and highlights before moving on to the next steps of construction.