Benjamin W Latham by jwvolz - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:48

[jwvolz]

Painted the dory and added a few little details. I'll add oars and maybe a few more things later on. 

[NovaStorm]

That is one great looking dory. Nice work!

[Retired guy]

Wow that turned out great Joe well done 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[jwvolz]

Thanks guys!

[jwvolz]

First update in a while. Once my company lifted travel restrictions, I've gotten very busy at work, which I'm actually quite happy about, but it has kept me away from the bench more. 

 

Finished the trunk cabin. It's a straightforward build, and the plans are good. The iron bars that make up the skylight framing were a bit tricky. I ended up using small gauge brass rod and they worked out great. It's just tricky getting them all the same length. I ended up sanding to final height with the sandpaper on a piece of glass.  I used boxwood for the skylight, as basswood would have certainly split drilling all the holes for the bars. The porthole rings/frames are not supplied so I fabricated them from appropriate sized styrene tubing. I still need to make the smokehead cover. 

[Landlubber Mike]

Nicely done!!

 

[BobG]

I love the little details that you are adding to your model. Those details are what make a good model a great model when they are done well. Nice work!

[NovaStorm]

Beautiful work love the job you have done on the cabin.

[B-Ram]

Great looking work Joe.

 

Bill

[jwvolz]

Thanks guys. I'm really enjoying this build. The little details as Bob mentioned make the difference, and 1/48 helps with that.

 

 

[reilly]

Always love to see your posting Joe...learned so much from you. I love the additional of the dory. A simple craft but so beautifully constructed. You have to appreciate the 1/48th scale. Nicely done Joe.

 

Bob

[Retired guy]

I like the supple deference's between the  Benjamin W. Latham and the Bluenose Joe, and very nice details on your cabin 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[jwvolz]

Thanks Richard, it's an enjoyable build. 

[jwvolz]

Bit of an update.

 

The model is mounted on it's baseboard, which is made from rosewood, with two simple brass rods to hold it in place. Rare event for me to get this done so early, as I'm usually trying to carefully mount a fully rigged model! I also completed a number of deck fittings such as the main and fore hatches, the galley hatch, the wheel box, dory cradle, quarter bitts and a few other little things. It's fun to have to scratch build most all of this as MS only provides wood and plans. 

 

 

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Really nice work Joe!  I love the lettering - looks fantastic!  Did you find that you had to double up on the white lettering or was a single decal sufficient on the black hull?

 

I stopped working on my Charles Morgan because I haven't quite figured out how I was to do the lettering.  Dry transfers are going to be too difficult to pull off I think, and I didn't want to glue paper to the hull.  I've reached out to a couple of custom decal shops to no avail.  I might just try to use single letter decals like you did, and just take my time to get them into the right position.  I was worried about getting them spaced and lined correctly, but it looks like it can be done.  If I can't do it, maybe I'll send my hull to you to decal  

[jwvolz]

Thanks Mike. The letters are quite opaque, even over the black with just one layer. Lining up a second on top would have been fun! It wasn't too difficult to get them lined up as you have multiple chances to "float" them into position, unlike dry transfers where you get one shot. They key was just water, no decal solution, so they don't start to soften. I came back with Micro Set afterward.

 

They are from Microscale.

[Retired guy]

She does look beautiful Joe and I also like the lettering, have this to do soon have got some dry and wet transfers not sure which ones to use yet.

 

Regards

Richard

[jwvolz]

Thanks Richard. 

 

I've found dry transfers tough to apply directly on the model. You get one shot at getting alignment correct, whereas you can "float" a water slide decal around into final position. I used dry transfers (Woodland Scenics) on my Cruizer class Sophie build, but  did them on a separately applied name plate. 

[jwvolz]

*MAJOR UPDATE*

 

I've gotten a lot done since the last update, but as usual have been remiss with the uploading. Some of the deck details such as windlass, fife rails and fore companionway finished awhile ago, and I've just gotten around to installing them. I've also built the box for the anchor chain, and installed the anchor cable which is made with Syren rope. 

 

Masts were turned in an electric drill to taper and the details were added with brass and stripwood. The bands are actually painted paper, which was easier consdiering the taper in that area. The spreader lifts were made form boxwood, as they will take some strain during rigging and I was not going to trust basswood with that task. 

 

The plans are just fantastic with regard to the mast fitting details, and there are still some things to add. 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Really excellent work Joe!  So clean and precise, looks perfect.

[jwvolz]

Thanks Mike.

 

I'm still not the best metal-worker, which will really come into play when I get to all the hardware on the gaffs and booms. 

[BobG]

Absolutely gorgeous, Joe! She going to be a showpiece!

[jwvolz]

Thanks Bob. I'm having fun doing something a bit different for me. 

[Chuck]

That look so good.  Very nice work.  Precise and clean...😃

[jwvolz]

Thanks Chuck.

 

MS gives you all those nice details on the plans, you just have to figure out yourself how to get there, which I enjoy. Ronnberg really knows the subject and produced some great plans. Although, the rigging sheet is VERY crowded, so that might be a bit fun... Chapelle's book is going to be  a huge help there.

 

Thanks to the "likes" as well. 

[allanyed]

Just happened onto your build log Joe and wanted to say what a beautiful build.  Hitting the like button was just not enough.   As a fan of these fishing schooners, it is nice seeing one of the best.

 

Allan

[jwvolz]

Thank you Allan, it's been a fun build so far. 

[allanyed]

Now the topper would be if you are from Western PA and a Steeler fan!!!   Go Stillers......   (I had the good fortune to have grown up in Pittsburgh) 

Allan

[jwvolz]

7 hours ago, allanyed said:

Now the topper would be if you are from Western PA and a Steeler fan!!!   Go Stillers......   (I had the good fortune to have grown up in Pittsburgh) 

Allan

HA! Eastern part, and am a lukewarm Eagles fan at best. 🤷‍♂️

[allanyed]

Eastern PA ain't too bad Joe.  Our oldest lives in Gilbertsville, not far from Valley Forge.   Beautiful countryside! 

Anxious to see your rigging and sails.  There have been a lot of posts lately on making sails. Unfortunately, many insist on using cloth and sewing which is impossible to keep in scale, taking away from an otherwise nice build.   

Allan