Fair American by KenW - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:48 Scale

[KenW]

I agree.  Also, I hope to be able to get some help and advise from The Ship Model Society of New Jersey.  I joined in January and they are very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.  You can read their news letter on the "Monthly Local Club Newsletters" page.  Although the most recent issue is Feb., 2014.

We just have to keep asking questions and hopefully sharing the answers we get.

Edited June 24, 2014 by KenW

[KenW]

It has been a good World Cup so far (except for the biting incident), and I have managed to do some work between games.  The fore mast and the fore top are ‘done’, although I expect there will be some modifications when rigging starts.  Some photos of the ‘completed’ fore mast parts are below.  (Some paint touch ups are needed.)

I also started work on the main mast.  From looking at the plans, the main mast diameter is slightly larger than the fore mast.  By my measurements, the fore mast is ¼ inch in diameter and the main mast is 9/32 inch.  I didn’t have a 9/32 dowel so I went to my local hardware store.  They only had a 5/16 inch dowel so I got that.  But the thing you have to watch out for is that I had to go through the whole selection to get a dowel that was straight.  I was able to scrape the dowel down to the required diameter and shape.  But, the other thing I noticed is that the main mast has a slight rake to it.  The instructions say to follow the plans.  And the fore mast is at 90 degrees from the water line; but the main mast is 92 degrees.  I don’t think I will be able to get that exact rake, but I will do my best.

Edited June 29, 2014 by KenW

[GaryKap]

Ken - Thanks for putting up the pictures of your fore mast and top.  The wooldings look really good.  Are the mast cleats from scratch, or cast parts from Model Expo?  And I see you have installed the two pairs of double blocks for the leech lines, buntlines, and spritsail braces as you discussed in entry #240.

Good job!  Please keep the photos coming.

 

<<Gary>> 

[KenW]

Thanks Gary.  The cleats on the mast are from the kit.

[KenW]

I have been studying the plans that came with the kit and I believe that the gaff is attached to the mainmast with parrels.  Therefore I believe that it was lowered and the gaff-rigged mainsail was not brailed.  So I guess I will have wooldings on the foremast, but not on the mainmast. 

Also, the plans do not show a boom rest on the mainmast, just an eye bolt for a hook at the end of the boom.  (Even though the kit comes with a dye cast boom rest.)  So I will leave the boom rest off.

Please, comments are welcome.

Edited July 1, 2014 by KenW

[rafine]

I ended up using a boom rest and parrals because I felt that arrangement was more appropriate for the time period .

 

Bob

[KenW]

The lower masts are made and the top masts and topgallant masts are carved out.  The ship looks really good with the lower and top masts mounted, although nothing is glued so the alignments are not perfect.  I took some photos and am ready to glue the lower masts and start rigging them.  I’m still not sure if I like the look of the wooldings on the fore mast but not on the main mast.  If the gaff is mounted with parrels, does it mean that the main sail was not brailed?  Anyway, all rigging will have to wait until after the WC final.

[scott larkins]

That bow work looks really good Ken.  Did you have to do a lot of bending or did you just peice together straight pieces?

[russ]

Ken:

Nice work on the head rails and figurehead. The model is really looking good. Nice color choices.

 

Russ

[KenW]

Thanks Russ and Scott.  As for the head rails:  The head rail was cut from a large, flat piece of scrap wood, so no bending was required.  The middle rail was bent, as were the cheek knees.  However, the cheek knees were each made from two pieces of wood, as per the instructions.

[KenW]

I believe I found the answer to how my gaff rigged mainsail should be mounted.  In Howard Chapelle's, "The History of American Sailing Ships", he says that, "The gaff was always lowered to furl the sail, the so-called 'standing-gaff' that remained aloft was never popular in America."  While Mr. Chapelle was not talking about the Fair American, I am going to assume that the gaff was lowered for furling.

[EdatWycliffe]

Ken, the fore track boomkin has a guy running from one end to an eye on the hull. Does the guy attach to the boomkin (1) throught a sheeve, (2) tied , or (3) somehow attached to the single block also at the end go the boomkin? Thanks.

[KenW]

Hey Ed.  I spliced a single block to the end of a line, ran the other end through a hole in the boomkin and seized the that end to the eye bolt on the hull.  The splicing technique was something I got from a workshop given by David Antscherl.

Edited July 20, 2014 by KenW

[EdatWycliffe]

Thanks, Ken. That's helpful. Can we access the David Antscherl workshop on MSW? Ed

[Pete Jaquith]

Ken,

 

Very good progress on your Brig "Fair American" build.  Its interesting to study the vaious FA builds here at MSW.

 

Regards,

Pete

[KenW]

Hey Ed - Not that I know of.  Let me find my notes and maybe I can send you (and Gary) the page on splicing.  It isn't easy to explain.

[KenW]

Thanks Pete.  I use Bob (rafine)'s blog as my major reference tool and your name has been mentioned on it.  I find your techniques to very interesting as well.

[EdatWycliffe]

Appreciate Ken. I'll do some experimenting as well. I think that I'll mount the ship on its permanent base soon before I start the spars,masts and rigging. I only wish that I drilled some pilot holes in the keel before adding cannons and deck furniture. Or, even better, when the ship was bottom up during planking. Live and learn! Ed

[KenW]

Hey Ed.  You know, I'm going to have the same problem.  I haven't drilled mounting holes yet either.  Didn't think of it.

Oh boy!

[victorpapa]

I have been studying the plans that came with the kit and I believe that the gaff is attached to the mainmast with parrels.  Therefore I believe that it was lowered and the gaff-rigged mainsail was not brailed.  So I guess I will have wooldings on the foremast, but not on the mainmast. 

Also, the plans do not show a boom rest on the mainmast, just an eye bolt for a hook at the end of the boom.  (Even though the kit comes with a dye cast boom rest.)  So I will leave the boom rest off.

Please, comments are welcome.

Your posts on woodlings got me thinking. I wondered if woodlings served the same purpose as bands on built up masts to strengthen the assemblys on larger ships with masts that were too large in diameter to be constructed from one pole. Looks like the F.A. masts are approx. 1 foot in diameter and could be made from a single tree, there by negating the need for strengthing the spar.

Thanks for sharing your build.

[KenW]

Thanks Victor.  I still am undecided on having a woolding only on the fore mast.  You're right in that it probably wasn't needed.  I like the look of them though. 

Still thinking.

[KenW]

On the issue of wooldings:

I recently acquired a copy of Howard Chapelle's "History of American Sailing Ships".  He doesn't mention wooldings but some of the drawings in his volume show them.  I know it is risky basing decisions on drawings, but what I see is that some boats of this period had them and some did not.  Boats like the Syren with reinforced masts always had wooldings.  However, the smaller boats, like the FA, are inconsistent.  I feel they probably installed them if the captain felt that the masts required strengthening.  Of course a mast with a gaff rigged sail didn't have wooldings.  So at this point, I think I will keep them. As always, I welcome comments.

[GaryKap]

Hi Ken

Years ago, while I was sailing in a small sloop in high seas, the boom cracked under strong winds.  With an experienced skipper, we were able to splice the boom and return safely to port.  Booms crack.  Masts crack.  Wooldings reduce the probability of a mast cracking.  If I were the captain of Fair American, I would want the wooldings to help prevent losing a mast at sea.  They are period appropriate, and you like the way they look.  You made the right decision.

 

<<Gary>>

[victorpapa]

Thanks Victor.  I still am undecided on having a woolding only on the fore mast.  You're right in that it probably wasn't needed.  I like the look of them though. 

Still thinking.

Thanks Ken,

I also like the look of them and will add them to my build.

[KenW]

Thanks Gary and Victor. Sounds like you had a pretty exciting sail, Gary.  Perhaps too exciting.

 

I'm not bothered anymore that the wooldings are on the fore mast but not on the main. Does anyone know if the method of attaching a gaff rigged sail (rings) helped strengthen the mast?  Just thought the rings might spread out the pressure whereas with a yard, all the pressure is all at the top of the mast.

More comments, please.

[EdatWycliffe]

Ken, two questions, please: (1) how did you determine which of the three standing rigging rope diameters (.018", .028" and .040") that came with the kit should be use in a particular instance? (2) how can you tell from the rigging plan (which is black and white; not black and red as indicated in the instruction book) which is standing rigging and which is running rigging? As you can tell, I'm still a neophyte. Thanks for all your help. Ed

[KenW]

Hey Ed:

I replaced all the rigging with rope from Chuck Passaro.  You can check out his site and order stuff from him at www.SYRENSHIPMODELCOMPANY.COM.

If you go to this site, "http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS2260", and click "Documents", you can access the book of instructions that Chuck created for the ME model of the Syren.  I use that documentation, along with Bob "rafine"'s FA log as the main resources for my FA build. The later chapters of the Syren doc. deal with building the masts and yards as well as the standing and running rigging.   I get line thickness from his doc. (keeping in mind that the Syren is a1:64 model and the FA is 1:48 so some lines may be thicker).  I also refer to the instructions from my previous model, which was also 1:48 scale. 

Chuck's documentation also is clear about the difference between standing and running rigging.  He even recommends an order in which each line should be added to the model.  Check it out.

[KenW]

I installed the deadeyes.  I had to use wire since I couldn’t find the ‘brass backing link’ that the kit used to supply.  Bob (rafine) used something similar on his Fair American, but I couldn’t find anything similar in any hardware store here in Brooklyn.  I guess it will have to suffice.   I think I will have to redo that one second from the right.  I don’t like the look.  Still working on the upper masts.

[russ]

Your deadeyes and chainplates look good. Very neatly done.

 

Russ

[EdatWycliffe]

Thanks Ken I will check out the Passaro document. I mounted the model yesterday. I held the model tilted back on its stern on a pad of soft cotton cloth and drilled pilot holes in two pre- marked spots on the keel. I used a #74 drill bit followers by a 1/16" drill bit in a Dremel. I then took one of the screws that came with the brass pedistals and slowly nudged it into the pilot holes about 3/4 inch. Even with the pilot holes, the keel started to split slightly so I placed a small C clamp around the pilot hole and continued nudging in the screw. I backed out the screw then attached the ship to its cherry plank using the brass pedistals. I'll add a picture to my build log.

 

Again, thanks for the help. Ed