Charles W Morgan by Scoot - Model Shipways - 1:64 scale

[Scoot]

This is the start of my build of the “Charles W. Morgan”.

From what I have learned, the “Morgan” was the longest in service and most profitable of any Whaleship.  A “greasy ship”. Built at the Hillman Brothers Shipyard,(brothers Jethro and Zacharia) on the Acushnet River in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1841.

She was built at a cost of $52,000.00 and was registered at 351 tons. She ended her whaling days in 1921. She has gone through at least a couple of restorations, the latest finishing this year at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and celebrating her “38th Voyage” with a trip from Mystic Seaport to New England destinations, including, Newport,  Martha’s Vineyard,  New Bedford,  Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay,  Provincetown,  Stellwagen Bank(to play with the whales),  Boston, and back again to Mystic.

Part of the fun and experience of building a model is the research. A ship model build can take several years, as I am sure most of the builders on this site know, and the amount of time and research is not taken lightly and is quite a commitment.  My wife and I have become members of Mystic Seaport since becoming interested in building this model four years ago, and have visited her (the Morgan) during the restoration a number times. My wife and I purchased “trunnels” with our names on them as a donation during her restoration, and hopefully were used during the planking. The books I have read as part of learning about whaling follow: Moby Dick by Herman Melville,  The Whaleboat by Willets D. Ansel,  Sperm Whaling from New Bedford by Elton W. Hall,  Whaleships and Whaling by Albert Cook Church,  The Yankee Whaler by Clifford W. Ashley,  also Ashley’s Book of Knots.  The” Charles W. Morgan”, The Last Wooden Whaleship by Edouard A. Stackpole, The Charles W. Morgan by John F. Leavitt and The American Whaleman by Elmo P. Hohman.  Have visited several museums in the area. Those being: The New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford,  The Nantucket Whaling Museum on Nantucket, The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem and of course Mystic Seaport, all in Massachusetts. Rich grounds for learning about whaling. I think I am ready.         

Sorry for the longwinded introduction. Feels like reading a chapter of Melville.

Let the fun begin.

 

Scoot

[Scoot]

I finished Model Shipways “NEW BEDFORD WHALEBOAT” four years ago and soon after began on the “CHARLES W. MORGAN”.  Eager to begin another build, I laid the keel and added the bulkheads. Other interests arose and the “MORGAN” had to wait on the workshop 

shelf for nearly four years. You can see her in the background while I work on other projects in June of this year.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Scoot

[Scoot]

Step ONE from the instruction manual was to glue the Center Keel Assembly.

 

[coolknight]

Welcome aboard, Im nearly 4 years in to my build.things are coming along. there's

nothing like it

[riverboat]

WELCOME !!! back Scoot.......... about time :D .... nice to see you doing the Morgan, looks like you're off to a good start.

Really enjoyed your introduction to this build, will be following your progress... Have fun Scoot!!

 

Frank

[Scoot]

Hi Mr. John.  Are you building the Morgan?  If so, where do I find it?

 

Hi Frank. Thanks.  I finally buckled down. Had to make sure if I anted up, I could play the whole hand.

It can be quite a commitment as you know.  I will be doing some weathering so will need your consulting services at some point.

 

Happy New Year Guys!

 

 

Scoot

[Scoot]

Step TWO was to install the Keel, Stem and Sternpost.

 

Before adding the keel, stem and sternpost, the rabbet lines were scribed into the center keel using a marking gage.

[Scoot]

Then using a file to remove material to form the rabbet along the fore, bottom and aft of the center keel.

[Scoot]

 And also the taper along the forward of the stem.

[Scoot]

After filing the angle for the rabbet on the stem, keel and sternpost, the keel pieces were drilled and pegged.

[Scoot]

Elastics were used for clamping keel pieces to center keel.

[Scoot]

Upper portion of center keel, where bulkhead slots are cut, are fragile.

[riverboat]

Like the way you did the rabbet.... I hear you on the fragile part, I have a Baltimore clipper from them sitting in the cupboard with the same problem

I like basswood ,but not for the keel or frames , I dropped a frame on the floor one day and it broke in half. anyway , yours is looking good.

Your work bench is looking good too..looks like decking. have fun,....it's nice having you back!!

 

Frank

[Landlubber Mike]

Scoot, really nice work so far.  I like your approach to the rabbet and attaching the keel pieces to the center keel, I might have to do the same on my Morgan.  

 

One thing I haven't decided is whether to attach the stem on at this time, or after the planking is added.  The benefit of adding the stem now is that it is easy to align it perfectly with the keel.  Others suggest adding it after the planking to help get a clean planking line.  I'm leaning towards adding it now, as that worked out pretty well on my Pegasus.

[Scoot]

Hi Frank.   Trying to get used to posting efficiently.  Probably could have put the last six posts into one post.  Haven't learned how to split up texts          

                 and pics.   The work bench is 15ft of a bowling alley that was in town and dismantled in the 1980s.  You may have bowled there as a

                 youngster.    The bench top is going with me to the Cape when I retire.  Solid as a rock.

[Scoot]

Mike.   It just seemed natural to add the stem now.  If there is a reason not to, I will find out down the road. Hopefully nothing negative.

            I see you have started the Morgan also.  Should be fun watching the progress of each.

 

Scoot

[Scoot]

Next was to transfer the bearding line from the plans to the center keel.  The bearding line is the intersection of the center keel and the inside surface of the hull planks.  From the bearding line to the rabbet will be the attaching or glue surface for the planking.  To transfer the bearding line I used painters tape to make a template from the plans and transferred it to the center keel.  There may be an easier way to do this but a roll of tape must have been within reach at the time.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Scoot

[Scoot]

Next was to pare down the material from the bearding line to the depth of the rabbet. And to test for proper depth with a scrap of planking.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Scoot

[riverboat]

Look'n good Scoot...... nice recycle  on that alley

 

Frank

[Scoot]

  The next step was to fit and install the bulkheads. Minor filing was needed to get a good fit.

Clamps and blocks were used to keep things square while the glue set.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Scoot

[Landlubber Mike]

Nice work Scoot, looking very solid.  

 

Just out of curiosity, have you thought about whether you are going to single plank your build, or double plank it?  The instructions say you can plank with 0.5mm planks as a second planking.  I am thinking of doing that for the lower planking, particularly to get a nice smooth hull, but the upper planking I might single plank.  Looking closely at the Morgan, it looks like the upper hull planking has planks beveled at the edges - I don't think 0.5mm planks are thick enough to bevel to get that effect, so I might single plank the upper hull. 

[Scoot]

Mike. As far as single or double planking. I plan on single planking. If I get the bulkheads faired properly, hopefully the planking will come out OK. The lower part of the hull will be coppered.  Everything I have posted so far is work that was done four years ago. Playing catch up now. I am just now getting back into the thought processes for modeling. I have noticed some mistakes I made when adding the bulkheads that will need to be addressed.

Top of some bulkheads are above top surface of center keel and bottom of some bulkheads do not fair into bearding line.  This is where this build really begins.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Scoot

[Scoot]

 All of my previous posts on this build log are from work that was done four years ago. I was eager to start the “Morgan” build after finishing Model Shipways “New Bedford Whaleboat”.  Other things arose and the “Morgan” ended up sitting on the shelf for four years. Time flies. So now I have a vision for the completion of the build and will pick up where I left off.  I can see some mistakes that were made in haste and will have to be corrected before I proceed.

My plan for this model is to show the “Morgan” on her way home from a multi year voyage.

 A moment in time. A hold full of whale oil(a greasy ship), and in the process of dismantling the try works.  The dismantling of the try works was a task that meant that the ship was nearing home port. The hold was full and a long whaling cruise was nearing an end. What crew was left was about to set foot on dry land. Spirits were higher than they had been in a long while and what grog was left flowed freely. 

[texxn5]

Hi Scoot, I just found your's and Mike's build logs. Welcome back to the Morgan Club. I'm looking forward to watching your build. I've pulled up a chair, popped the popcorn and popped a beer....ready to go. Let me know if you need anything along the way.

John

[homer]

Hi Scoot, I just checked out your build. Doing a great job! You also have an awesome shop area. I'm going to retire in two years at (62) but until then am using a small hobby desk tucked in the corner of my office. I travel for work so for the last twenty plus years my employer, Principal Financial has me work from a dedicated home based office. 

 

I see you know John. He's a very nice person and has answered a lot of questions for me and has also been a good source for some Proxxon equipment. My favorite tool is that X/Y table and drill machine. Well, I need to upload some more build pics of my Morgan and maybe I'll do that now!!! Take care and thanks for the info on the brass edging. Ron