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Found 23 results

  1. This will be my first wooden ship model; I completed a Revell HMS Victory plastic model ship a few years ago, and I really liked it. It sparked my interest in wooden model ships, and I wanted to build one of my own. My father bought this kit for Christmas in 2019, and I really like the overall shape of the hull. Even though this is my first wooden model and the kit doesn't have them, I'd like to add sails. It will be a challenge, especially the rigging, but I believe I can do it. I started this model at the end of December 2019, and am currently working on the bow section, so maybe ~1/2 way done. I will share photos and construction details up to this point, and then continue to post progress as I go. I work full time during the day, so I only have a few hours a week to dedicate to the build, so my progress after a year and a half is SLOW. I have seen a lot of other builds/ships with high quality planking. I hope that mine will be good enough to leave unpainted, since I really like the look of the hull planking As with other builders of the MSW's kit, the keel is short ~1/4". I used a piece of extra wood to shape and glue the missing portion. Not awesome, but acceptable. I also purchased a Bulkhead Mounting Kit from a local hobby shop. After reviewing the plans, I cut the bulkhead frames loose, sanded and transferred the bevels with a compass. The rabbet was a pain....chiseling didn't do well, so I ended up sanding. A lot of sanding. In hindsight later on, I should have sanded deeper. I shaped the bulkheads and glued to the frame using the Mounting Kit. I squared them to the model with C-clamps on each end, and slowly tightened until I measured the distance between bulkheads was the same on both sides. The Filler blocks took a while to shape right, and even after they were glued, they needed more sanding to get blended with the bulkheads. Next time I might leave the bulkhead bevels ''thick'' and sand together with the blocks for a better transition. More photos and progress tomorrow -Jason-
  2. About to start the "Fair American". Those familiar with the ship know the model is based upon a model. There are a few known issues with the kit build, among them the height of the quarterdeck bulkhead and door, and also its placement in relation to the last cannons on the main deck. There have been a number of different work arounds that have been implemented to solve these issues if you have read the numerous build logs. The rigging of the ship is also different on the kit then the model, the rigging plan for the kit is based on "Rattlesnake's" rigging plan. I would advise anyone contemplating building FA to read the build logs, and then read the construction manual, paying close attention to the notes therein. Get some post-it notes. and write down the areas that need to be addressed before you start any of the construction process. The kit comes with 4 full size plan sheets, and 2 smaller sheets which spars and masts, and belaying pin and cleat tie offs. In the documentation you will see various general warnings with references to other material to explain them. I highly recommend you take them to heart for a successful build. I would also say that this kit is not for the first time/first builder. You will also find that to complete the build you will have to order parts not included in the kit. This is also noted in the building manual. Tomorrow we start making saw dust! Jim
  3. 14 Gun Brig “Fair American”, Circa 1780 The 14 Gun Brig Fair American, circa 1780 is based on Model No. 60 of the Henry Huddleston Rodgers ship model collection at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, Maryland. Due to the number of vessels named Fair American that participated in the American Revolution and the amount of conflicting data pertaining to these names, it has not been possible to identify the specific vessel the model represents. However, the model is representative of many of the small ships used as privateers during the American War of Independence. The brig Fair American had a length of 68’ 0”, beam of 24’ 0”, depth of 8’ 0”, and tonnage of 130 tons. The model is based on the Model Shipways Fair American kit developed by Erik A. Ronnberg, Jr. and updated by Ben Lankford. Additional research was conducted using Steel’s Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging (1794) and by examining the original Fair American model at the U.S. Naval Academy. The model is plank on bulkhead construction at 1/4” to the foot scale (1:48) with single planking and scratch built details/fittings. Paint colors are based on examination of the original Model No. 60 and contemporary practice. Planned enhancements to the Model Shipways kit include: (a) main deck planking will incorporate hooked scarphs outboard; ( quarter deck planking will utilize curved/tapered planks; © cannons/carriages will be from Kingshouse Cannons and the Lumberyard; (d) the stern lantern will be from Caldercraft Scale Ship Models; (e) proportional linen rigging line will be from Bluejacket Ship Crafters and Warner Woods West; and, (f) rigging blocks will be from Warner Woods West. In order to more fully evaluate these changes, cannon port clearances, bulwark, and hull straking; a Bulwark and Deck at Side mockup was constructed from frame 2 to frame 4.8 starboard. Pete Jaquith Shipbuilder
  4. This is the beginning of my build log for the 14 Gun Brig Fair American by Model Shipways. It starts with my planking the hull, as the steps up to that point were not recorded due to my fear of doing a build log after seeing the quality of the build logs presented on this site. I had stopped at that point in the build process because I was reviewing the existing build logs on this site for the brig; and was getting confused by the various ways the models were being built and how they differred from the instructions provided in the kit. I have a copy of Bob Hunt's practicum to follow (but I didn't want to do the extensive kit mods he was advocating; nor did I have the skills of someone like Pete Jaquith and the desire to work on the model for several years). I was also concerned that of the 15 build logs for the Model Shipways kit on the site only 3 were finished with a lot appearing to be dropped altogether. What was I getting myself into? So I stopped my build and started a build log for the Danmark by Billings which was a kit that had been sitting around for years being neglected. Completing the build of the Danmark and it's build log improved by confidence (if I could build that old kit with its absolute minimum set of instructions compared to todays kits then I should be able to resume work on the Fair American), so here goes! I started with the basic shell, a partially finished stern, and the bulwarks with gun ports and the outside planking from the wales up done. I then planked the hull in a rather haphazard way after failing in my attempts to partition the hull into four sections using battens, calculating widths of planks at each frame etc. as I have extensively read about, and just did my best. I bought the half-hull planking kit from this site to learns from for future builds (but that's for later). When the hull was planked, I filled any voids and low spots after sanding with wood filler, resanded, refilled, resanded then primered the lower hull and resanded again before my final application of primer. I then constructed the hatches as best I could (they seem to be too big, but match the dimensions on the plans), positioned them and started the deck planking. I checked the fit of the cannons in the ports by temporarily mocking up a cannon and checking its fit. It appeared reasonable to me so I won't do Mr. Hunts suggesting of increasing the height of the bulwarks but will instead adjust the cannon carriages instead. I completed the deck planning for the main deck and created the forward portions of the main cap rails. I plan on using wipe-on poly for the main deck planking and will do some hull painting after building up the fancy rail and cap rail. Will probably continue using a combination of the instructions that came with the kit and a little bit of the methods from the practicum and other ideas or sequence of steps form other build logs.
  5. After a few months off, I'm back at the bench with a build of the Model Shipways Fair American. The day after finishing my Bluenose build back in January, I started in on the 18th Century Longboat, and made it as far as planking the hull. However, the hull planking didn't turn out great so I boxed it back up until a time comes that I'm ready to put the work in to improve it. I took a few months off to deal with our new puppy, and finally had a chance to dive into the Fair American over the last week. I chose the Fair American because it has some things that will be new to me (visible hull planking, guns and gun ports, square rigging), and because as a model-of-a-model I think it can offer some 'creative license' since the goal will be to represent a ship of the period, not necessarily a well-documented specific ship. Right away I realized this build will likely require more research and planning than I anticipated. I'm a big fan of Model Shipways kits, but this kit is older and I've found the plans a little difficult to work with. I think this is partly due to the kit being converted from a solid hull design to a POB design which resulted in some, but not all, of the plans being re-done. It feels like this kit could really use a pass to modernize it. To get started, I did the typical inventory of parts. I printed labels for all the parts. I organized the wood into plastic tubes, and sorted the various bits and pieces into bags. As I did with my Bluenose build, I'll likely be replacing the rigging line and blocks with better parts from Syren. I also scanned in all the plans and put together my 'build books'. These have full-size copies of everything in the plans and instructions, but cut and arranged to fit normal sized paper. I find it way easier to work with the plans in this way since I can easily open the book to a specific page and have it out on the bench (where space is limited). Obviously I still have the full sized plan sheets available when I need them. I've also gone through the instructions and plans and identified every part and piece, and created a spreadsheet listing out all the work to be done. I did this for my Bluenose build, and it ended up being a great way to track what was finished and what needed to be done. It is a living document that I continually update as I work...constantly adding and reordering steps as I go. It helps to keep me aware of what steps are next, and stops me from skipping ahead. The plan currently contains over 200 steps, but that number will increase as I go. (Page numbers refer to the instruction book, plan numbers refer to the page in my custom 'build book', and the date/days let me keep track of when things were done and how long they took.) So with everything prepared, I broke out the tools and started in building a ship for the first time in four months...
  6. This is my build log of Model Shipways Fair American. I also have Bob Hunt's practicum to reference. He does a bit of kit bashing in his practicum. At this point I'm not sure if I'm going to do the kit bash or not. I have a bit of time to figure that out. I'm not going to post a pic of the kit itself, I'm sure there is enough of those pictures on this forum already. Well, it started early. As I was taking the center keel out of the billet I dropped it and of course...... So of course I glued and clamped it and will let it sit overnight One thing I noticed is that the instructions show the center keel as a two piece assembly yet in the kit it came as one piece. One less thing to do I guess.
  7. After a 45-year hiatus from my first build (Model Shipways Rattlesnake solid hull) I decide to build another. I'm retired and living in a condo, so I needed a hobby. I chose the Fair American because it was similar to the Rattlesnake, and I wanted to try a plank-on-bulkhead model. I started the build April 12, 2019. So far, I'm pleased with the progress. I wish that had taken more progress photos. Going forward, I will try to take more photos to document the progress. When I received the kit, I went through the parts list to make sure everything was in the box. I labeled some wood parts but not all. In hindsight, I wish I had labeled all the wood parts. Like some other modelers, I found the keel was too short. I made one of the proper length from scrape material and continued on.
  8. So, I am posting this log as a result of seeing the build log of DocBlake's Fair American in which he posted a reference showing this kit in full rig done by Mike Lonnecker - http://www.thenrg.org/resources/59-3%20NRJ%20%20Building%20Fair%20American%201789.pdf My build was about 90% complete until I saw his model and now I want to fully rig mine as well. So I guess I am back to around 60 - 70% complete. I have really enjoyed building this kit, it was my first POF attempt and I not only had fun but I learned a lot about POF building and am pretty confident that I could apply the same techniques to another subject and be successful. After deciding to rig her I needed to find some resources so I tried asking in the plans section for a set of the Model Shipways plans as they include the masting and rigging in1/48 but I didn't get any response but I have since located a set of plans and am eagerly awaiting their arrival. Until then I still have to do some railings and install the head rails and pin racks, channels, deck furniture and complete the stern. Here are some pics of her current state of construction, pretty much out of the box except for the aft cabin deck detail that I did to try my hand at doing inlay work.
  9. Just completed the Model Shipways, "Armed Virginia Sloop", and while I was pleased with the result, I can see a lot of "mistakes". So I want to see if I can do a model without the old problems (only new ones). I chose the Fail American because it seems more difficult than the AVS, but not too much more difficult. It has a second mast, more complicated bow and stern and it is squared rigged. After my parts survey, I see that the center keel is not in agreement with the plans. This problem has been seen by other MSW builders. I contacted Model Expo and am waiting for the replacement center keel. However, the keel part's length is NOT about a half inch short, so that problem has been fixed. While waiting for the new center keel, I decided to practice on the kit supplied center keel since on my last model I had problems with creating the rabbet. So I removed the center keel and bulkheads and lightly removed the laser burn discoloration. I redrew the bearding line to be more in line with the size of the majority of the bulkheads. I did not make any changes to the bulkheads! I did modify the kit supplied center keel if needed. I cut the rabbet and was pleased; I felt is was much better than on my previous model. So I am happy with the practice attempt and now just have to wait for the replacement center keel.
  10. The kit has been ordered (backorder). I first saw this ship about 50 years ago. A friend was building the MS Kit that was a solid machine carved hull back then. The lines of this ship really spoke to me. I don't know why. I didn't have the money for the MS kit at the time but I looked around and found a good deal on a kit from Boucher (now Bluejacket) which I worked on sporadically over a 10 year period, getting it almost to completion and then decided to de-rig it and store it away for a retirement project. I have some modeling experience. My dad was an amatuer artist and had an amazing eye for detail. With him and my brother, we built and flew model airplanes, stick frames, paper covered. We also got into model trains, building kits and scratch building. After retirement, I took an interest in model steam engines and have designed and built a few. That of course requires machine tools and have a fairly well equipped shop including lathe, milling machine, drill press and assorted metal working tools. I have some woodworking experience as well. I worked in sales for the old Shopsmith company in the '60s and then for Dewalt when their only product was radial arm saws. DeWalt was aquired by Black and Decker so I have some history there as well. My current shop also has some woodworking equipmentl. I have a little experience with sailing as too. When I first retired, my wife and I moved aboard our 37' sailboat and left the Chesapeake Bay headed for The Bahamas. We returned to the bay a few times but spent most of the next ten years living aboard and cruising between Florida and The Bahamas. Now, as I wait for the delivery of my Fair American kit, I have been reading the build logs for this ship here on this forum and I am sure that I will re-read them many times. I see that there is a lot of discussion about the details of the design, particularly the poop deck and aft cabin, So, I have some questions 1. What is the purpose of the raised aft deck? Why is it so clear of structure? 2. Why is there no railing between it and the main deck? 3. Wat is the expected use of the space below the deck? 4. How long would the tiller be for a ship of this size and period? 5. Oh well, maybe four is enough for now. Comments are welcome. All input is good. All discusion is usefull, even if all it does is raise more questions. I realize that I have a long way to go before encountering the details of the aft section details but it helps tp have a clear understanding of the situation well before it is too late making me wish that I had done something differently. Thanks for watching. Jerry
  11. I just got started on my Fair American. It is my first build. I chose this model as I felt it would be a good learning experience and I have a great support group to turn to here on this forum. I am also a member of the Ship Model Society of NJ. I began by inventory of all pieces. I then got up the courage to cut the rabbet. I then remopoved the bulkheads and checked for proper fit. My question is, If the bulkheads dot not land precisely on the bearding line, how should I go about to adjust? Should I bring the Rabbet up higher? Should I drop the bulkheads down to meet the bearding line? Should I add woodfiller to the bulkheads to meet the bearding line? My idea is to bring the bulkheads down by adjusting the joint but I then have a bulkbhead that is not quite fluch with the centerkeel pieace. I could add material to bring it flush but that changes the height of the bulkhead rails. Your help is greatly appreciated.
  12. The remaining plans have been listed on eBay. Brand new, Model Shipways New Bedford Whaleboat. $19.99 from MSW. 3 large sheets with lines plan and templates. $10 SOLD Model Shipways Sultana. 2 large sheets. Good clean set of plans. $5 SOLD Model Shipways Clipper Ship Young America. Older plans on heavy paper. 4 sheets plus 3 sheets of instructions. Very good clean set of plans with some minor pencil marks. $5 Model Shipways Brig Fair American. Older plans on heavy paper. 3 large sheets plus 2 small sheets and instructions. $5 SOLD Model Shipways Frigate USS Essex. Older plans on heavy paper. 3 large sheets plus 3 small sheets and instructions. $5 SOLD Model Shipways Frigate USS Constitution. Lines plan, stern detail, large scale drawing of 24pdr and carriage, large scale drawing of 24pdr bow chaser and large scale drawing of bower anchor. $5 Mamoli Schooner USS Lexington. 6 large sheets of drawings, details, templates and instructions. $5 SOLD Mamoli Cross Section USS Constitution. Scale 1:93. 6 large sheets and one small sheet of drawings, templates, details and instructions. Good clean set of plans. $5 SOLD Bluejacket Bon Hom Richard. 1 very large sheet. Scale 1/8"=1'. Older plans that have yellowed and are creased but still clear and usable. $5 Bluejacket Pirate Brig. 3/16"=1'. Older plans that have yellowed and are creased but still clear and usable. 1 very large sheet. $5 MRB Landing Craft LCI. Scale 1:50. Text in French. 2 large sheets. Older plans that are age darkened but clean and completely usable. $5 Buy them all and I will pay the shipping.
  13. Greetings Ive Started the "Fair American". And.. Not Far into the build I'm running into Some problems and Lots of questions. Search results brings up four builds. From what I can tell ...not one is alike on construction. Their for not helping with the dilemmas much ahahahaa. Is it possible the kit keeps being Refined by maker ??? Here is my current progress. Right off the bat I made a new Bottom Keel piece as shown. Kit was short by 1/4 inch. Hope this was correct...lol.. Just used scrap from the original Plywood. The rest went pretty smooth till the front Bulk head. Here I opted to change it. It required a bit more work and cutting/ carving. But I thought it was a bit better then just adding the timber and knight head stanchions. All advice very appreciaded..Thoughts so far ?
  14. I started building the MS2015 Fair American this past Sunday and wanted to start a build log for this site. I am going to attempt some minor kit modifications per Bob Hunt's practicum and appreciate all the help and support I have gotten from the folks here. I took stock of what I had in the kit and noticed that the keel section that accepts the bulkheads is no longer made in two pieces and that much of this is also plywood. From other build logs I have read of inferior materials in regards to this, but my wood stock seems to be okay. After a bit of cleanup, I test fit the bulkheads. I made the listed modification to show the "great cabin" and some exposed framework of the ship. I added the filler blocks to the bow and began to fair the blocks and the bulkheads to prepare them for planking. After reading some of the great work done on the models from artists here, I am planning to add filler blocks between many of the bulkheads. If you have any thoughts or ideas, I would greatly appreciate them. Jeff
  15. This will be the build log for my second Lauck Street Shipyard kit, "Fair American". As with my AVS "Patrick Henry" I plan to substitute some of the kit's wood. My kit is #116 and I purchased it about 2 years ago. It does contain a wood package from Hobby mill with an ebony wales kit as well as Swiss pear and holly planking stock. I'll also find a way to use boxwood. This kit will be more practice before I go on two my two big goals: The Lauck Street Shipyards "Kingfisher" and a scratch-built "Hannah" in 1/24 scale. The first step is to unpack, and then start work on the keel.
  16. This build is in planning at this time, should start in the next month or two. I have the kit and have checked the parts and started to prep them for building.
  17. After getting my feet wet, so to speak, with a couple of “learner” projects, I wanted to get into something a bit more involved. Model Shipway's Fair American seemed to fill the bill – complicated and detailed enough to be a significant challenge but not entirely overwhelming. The larger scale – 1:48 – less complicated rigging and the modest price tag helped a lot too... I received the kit a few weeks ago. Since then I've been studying the instructions and plans, and reading through the various Fair American build logs here on MSW. A lot of talented folks doing some really nice work, not to mention, taking the time and energy to share your knowledge and experience with us! Thanks! The box and what's inside... Model Shipways stuff always comes very well packed; kudos for the nice sturdy blue box. Getting started... After inventorying the kit contents, one of the first things I wanted to do was look for some of the initial problems with the kit that other builders had found. The plans... There does seem to be some discrepancy in the scale of the printed plan sheets. After measuring the printed scale on each of the sheets, I found three of the large sheets – the Hull & Decking Plan sheets and the smaller Mast & Spar Plan sheet - appear to have been printed a bit undersized. The 4th large sheet - Rigging Plan sheet - was a printed a bit oversized. But when comparing the center keel and bulkheads to the sheets I found that for the most part, they seem to match up with the plan sheet as is. I guess that makes this a non-issue for the time being. Center keel and bulkheads... The center keel in the kit I received is a single piece, laser cut from 3/16” basswood. It does appear to be straight, no warps or curves, and fits the template of the plan sheet. The bulkheads are laser cut from 3/16” plywood. On sheet “C”, the laser did not cut all the way through on a couple of the bulkheads. No real problem, just took a little more patience to get them out of the sheet intact. All of the plywood parts look pretty solid. No visible gaps in the inside plies and fairly smooth on the exterior surfaces. All of them tended to match up with the plan sheet within a line width or so. Stem, stern post and keel... These parts are laser cut from the same 3/16” basswood sheet as the center keel. The only discrepancy here, as others have mentioned, is the keel being about 1/4” short when compared to the drawing. Looks like there's enough spare material to cut another one from the original sheet or just add an extension onto the original part. The curve of the stem didn't quite match the center keel, but should fit OK with a little trimming and fitting. That's about it for now. Again, THANKS! to all who have taken time to share your work. Your critique and comments are always welcome.
  18. This starts my build log for MSW's Fair American. Mainly I'm following the Lauck Street Shipyard Practicum Kitbashed to simulate plank on frame and to open the great cabin. The following are photos of the build to date. This and the next three photos show the hull fully planked sanded and a coat of polycrylic. I may need to add an additional plank after the deck is laid depending on the relationship between the height of the cannon barrel and the gun port. The first photo shows the kit-bashed cutout simulating a plank on frame model on the starboard side. (One day maybe I'll be accomplished enough to build one.). The next three photos show the stern, bow and bottom (keel up) of the ship. I've primed (using automobile gray spray primer) and sanded twice since these photos. The fifth photo shows a top view of the bulwarks almost ready for the deck planks. I've decided to add the hatches first so that the deck pad will fit neatly around the hatch coamings. The sixth and seventh photos show hatches under construction. (Thanks, Fiffuerres, Rafine and KenW for the great help.) That's it for now.
  19. This will be my first POB model. During the past year I completed the solid hull version of the Model Shipways Rattlesnake. I made a lot of mistakes but learned a lot and acquired some skills in the process. I selected Fair American for my next project because I like the size and appearance of the model, as well as its relatively simple rig made even easier by the larger quarter inch to the foot scale. I am a bit nervous about the hull planking – especially the lower hull. But I have read and re-read the planking books and tutorials, and studied the build logs on this site. I am very grateful to have access to these. My “plan B” if I mess up the planking is to get a big bucket of plastic wood and some sandpaper... I have checked the parts list, and the only thing that seems to be missing is the small dowel for the flag staff (part WP5100-06). I noticed other build logs reporting that the center keel did not line up with the plans. Mine pretty much did – but my kit has the center keel as one piece; not the two described by others. I extracted the center keel, keel, stem, and sternpost from Wood Sheet “A”. When I placed them together, I discovered that the keel is approximately ¼ inch too short. Notice in the photo the gap between the stem and the keel. I will most likely just cut a small piece of wood to fill this unless any of you has a better suggestion. <<Gary>>
  20. Hello again fellow builders. Was wondering if one wanted to lets say make the Fair American or Armed Virginia Sloop from 1/48 scale to 1/64 or another scale what might be the challenges a modeler might face? Aside from a few fittings and changing the size of the wood planks, parts, etc, the kits seem to have very clear instructional guides to work with but curious if anyone's every tried doing so and what the process would entail. Also would one say doing so would be significantly harder to build than the kit directly from the box? Appreciate the shared wisdoms cheers/jeers and/or speculations. Charlie
  21. This will be my attempt to to at least partially recreate my log for this build, which was completed in August, 2012. I have all of the photos and will reproduce most of them here. The text, as with most other logs on the site, is lost and no attempt will be made to reproduce it as such. I will try to provide some summary text to go with the pictures. This build was inspired by the build that Pete Jaquith started on MSW. I chose to make some changes that he had made and then made others of my own. The most basic change of his that I adopted was to increase the size of the gun ports, and thereby also increase the height of the bulwarks. My most basic change was to replace all of the visible kit basswood with boxwood and holly. The boxwood was used for the upper hull and bulwark planking and all of the deck furniture. Holly was used for lower hull and deck planking and for the keel, stem and rudder. The first segment of the build was the framing. Because of the dimensional changes that I made, and because I found the kit bulkheads to be deficient, I ended up creating a solid upper structure that had the ultimate benefit of providing a great surface for planking. I also added additional bracing for the bulkheads,using square strip wood at the center keel joints and broad pieces at the outer edges. I like the stability this creates. Other than that, framing and fairing of the hull followed the kit and standard practices. Bob
  22. BUILDING THE LAUCK STREET SHIPYARD FAIR AMERICAN I have no commercial interest in and no financial gain from writing this building-log / review, I’m only a very happy customer //Erik Nyren Reposting this buildinglog ended up somwhere between a review and a log so I leave it up to our admins to move it if necessary Unfortunally this kit is no longer available however this buildinglog does give an idea of how to build a scratch model of the ship. Perhaps it can be of help to members building the Model Slipways Fair American kit, so I figured its worth reposting. To be honest I think the original complete log was posted on Dry Dock Models and only parts on MSW but it matters not. Historic background The history of the 16gun 1780 Revolutionary war Brig Fair American is not one I have been able to wrap my head around. It would seem that there have been several Fair Americans throughout history and that the Lauck Street Shipyard kit is based on plans drawn by Clayton A. Feldman. Those plans are drawn from the model of the Fair American in the Rogers collection at the Naval Museum in Annapolis, MD. For a deeper study of the Fair American history I would recommend the booklet “Progressive Scratch-Building in Ship Modeling” By Clay A.Feldman MD which in addition is a very informative publication on the basics of scratch building a ship model as well as a complementary book on the rigging of the Fair American. The Lauck Street Shipyard kit is a somewhat simplified POF-construction and not to be considered historically correct although this is the prise that has to be paid to have a kit of such complexity comprehensible for a lesser skilled modeller. From an amateurs point of view (that would be me) the kit is close enough to the history so I would not know the difference if not someone were to point it out. The Fair American kit Construction (Measurements taken from my model and may vary depending on several factors during construction) Length: ca490 mm Height: ca157mm (stern) With: ca140mm The kit is a Craftsman Style kit which means that it is developed by a professional modeller and a true craftsman. Further on the term Craftsman style stands for the highest quality and that the precision of the parts is a lot better than your general kit. What is a bit unique about this kit is that it’s a true plank on frame construction kit whereas most kits on the market are solid hull or plank on bulkhead. The kit comes with a number of wood billets with CNC-milled parts and the strip wood organised in labelled bags, there’s also some very nice photo etched parts and some other small parts for the deck details. There are 11 sheets of plans included covering all frames, profile view and templates for rails and gun ports among other things. There are also two additional sheets included covering the standing and running rig although the kit does not include materials for building the rig. The Fair American is a partially planked, true plank on frame (POF) construction exposing the inner construction of the ship to the viewer. The frames and many other parts are built up by gluing layers of CNC-milled parts resulting in a very sturdy and robust construction. Included in the kit is a Han style jig for framing the model in an up side down position. Materials The wood is of the highest quality American hardwood such as cherry, walnut, aspen and pine which calls for great contrasts in colour. I had no problems with strip wood breaking whilst bending or strips being milled unevenly. Some small parts have a tendency to break when cut from the billet due to their small size and thin billet, this is not a problem though as the kit includes ample security for this by including enough spares to these parts so breaking a few does not matter. On a few occasions I broke too many with my thick fingers, this was solved by drawing up the part on the same billet and recreating it. Manual Now here’s a treat. The manual actually comes in the form of a CD in order to cut costs, which is commendable. It can be printed out if one prefers to have it lying around. The manual is very pedagogical taking you through the build step by step with strategic pictures in colour to show critical points of construction. Mr Hunt has obviously gone into a great deal of thought when writing the manual which is more of a practicum than a dry manual. It is written with care in a personal and delightful manner. The manual includes tips and tricks as in what to do and potential areas where mistakes can be made. There are three additional CD:s included with pictures of the different stages of construction. Plans Plans are stored rolled up in a hard-paper tube eliminating folds that can mess up measurements. The plans are very good and clear with thin lines making measurements easy. Many of the sheets are multicoloured illustrating the construction in a pedagogical manner. The precision of the plans enables you to check your parts directly on the plan which you are repeatedly asked to do in the manual especially whilst assembling the frames. Building experience Building the Fair American kit is most rewarding, as the kit holds a quality that I have never seen. I have been able to learn unbelievable much in a short while as I could concentrate on the POF-construction and learning the basics of a ships construction in stead of spending hours compensating for badly designed parts.The personal customer service provided by Mr Hunt can not be compared with the larger manufacturers where responses are scarce and often the employees handling support has never built the kit in question. The fast and friendly responses from Mr Hunt adds to the building experience. Summary The Fair American is a kit that I strongly recommend to anyone wanting to learn the basics of POF modelling but also the more experienced builder would have a wonderful time building her. The kits outstanding quality in wood, plans and manual makes sure you can build a beautiful model with limited or no prior experience of POF models and no expensive machinery. This fine kit and with the service and support from Lauck Street Shipyard from the purchase throughout the build to a finished model gave me an overall building experience yet to be surpassed, and this for a most reasonable prize. Building experience Building the Fair American kit is most rewarding, as the kit holds a quality that I have never seen. I have been able to learn unbelievable much in a short while as I could concentrate on the POF-construction and learning the basics of a ships construction in stead of spending hours compensating for badly designed parts. The personal customer service provided by Mr Hunt can not be compared with the larger manufacturers where responses are scarce and often the employees handling support has never built the kit in question. The fast and friendly responses from Mr Hunt adds to the building experience. Summary The Fair American is a kit that I strongly recommend to anyone wanting to learn the basics of POF modelling but also the more experienced builder would have a wonderful time building her. The kits outstanding quality in wood, plans andmanual makes sure you can build a beautiful model with limited or no prior experience of POF models and no expensive machinery. This fine kit and with the service and support from Lauck Street Shipyard from the purchase throughout the build to a finished model gave me an overall building experience yet to be surpassed, and this for a most reasonable prize. Materials The wood is of the highest quality American hardwood such as cherry, walnut, aspen and pine which calls for great contrasts in colour. I had no problems with strip wood breaking whilst bending or strips being milled unevenly. Some small parts have a tendency to break when cut from the billet due to their small size and thin billet, this is not a problem though as the kit includes ample security for this by including enough spares to these parts so breaking a few does not matter. On a few occasions I broke too many with my thick fingers, this was solved by drawing up the part on the same billet and recreating it. Manual Now here’s a treat. The manual actually comes in the form of a CD in order to cut costs, which is commendable. It can be printed out if one prefers to have it lying around. The manual is very pedagogical taking you through the build step by step with strategic pictures in colour to show critical points of construction. Mr Hunt has obviously gone into a great deal of thought when writing the manual which is more of a practicum than a dry manual. It is written with care in a personal and delightful manner. The manual includes tips and tricks as in what to do and potential areas where mistakes can be made. There are three additional CD:s included with pictures of the different stages of construction. Plans Plans are stored rolled up in a hard-paper tube eliminating folds that can mess up measurements. The plans are very good and clear with thin lines making measurements easy. Many of the sheets are multicoloured illustrating the construction in a pedagogical manner. The precision of the plans enables you to check your parts directly on the plan which you are repeatedly asked to do in the manual especially whilst assembling the frames. More to come Regards Erik
  23. I am building a model shipways Fair American and have been working on a few bits of kit bashing. I like what rafine did with his build: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1114-fair-american-by-rafine-model-shipways-kitbashed/page-3 he could only say that he had an old model railroad street light for his. right now I have two different ones that are about right but each has some problems. the two I have are a set of Lionel lights part number 6-24156 and a set of Rail King / MTH part number 30-1062 of the two the Lionel are slightly smaller and closer to scale. but they do not have the framework to look like metal strips that held the top and bottom together. also they have a very simple top and bottom for the lamp. the Rail King parts have a more ornate look , if they were just a bit smaller they would be perfect! both are "O-Scale" and the difference in size is very small. So far what I have is using some of the parts from each I will have one lantern that I think will end up looking right. I am replacing the bulb that came with them with a small yellow led that has a random flicker to look more like an oil lamp. when I get time I will post some pictures of the two types of lamp and my results. the final lantern will be part of my build, here is a link to my build log http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/28-fair-american-by-figuerres-modelshipways-148-kit/
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