America by Sterlingclements - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1/48

[fnkershner]

I am considering my next model. I have the plans for this Schooner from the Smithsonian. I also have access to a CNC router. I have already modeled her in CAD. I have been trying to decide between this kit and just doing it myself from scratch. Can you tell me what you like and what you don't like about this kit? Looks like you had a lot of extra work to do with the framing.

Edited February 3, 2022 by fnkershner

[Sterlingclements]

2 hours ago, fnkershner said:

I am considering my next model. I have the plans for this Schooner from the Smithsonian. I also have access to a CNC router. I have already modeled her in CAD. I have been trying to decide between this kit and just doing it myself from scratch. Can you tell me what you like and what you don't like about this kit? Looks like you had a lot of extra work to do with the framing.

Yes, the frames took a ton of work. They were made from a solid hull that is then sliced like bread to make individual frames The solid hull looks like it was machine milled. The milling of the interior was off center, causing the frames to be very unsymmetrical. However, once I got the frames to my liking, the rest of the build has been great. Additionally, scratch building the frames is beyond my skill level at this time, so this was still the best kit for me. If you plan on fully planking the model, you are probably better off with bulkheads versus frames. I love the kit especially for the deck beam assemblies as they look fantastic, and I do not plan to fully plank so I wanted the authentic frame look.

[fnkershner]

I have not decided whether I will go for bulkheads or frames. But I don't like the idea of all that chiseling. Like you I don't have the skills, but I have an ace up my sleeve. The CNC will cut or carve any wood that is 4 ft X 4 ft by 2 inches. And my CAD Software has a feature that it will create slices from a solid. I can specify how many slices and the thickness of each. From your feedback, I think the best path for me is to buy the plans and maybe the fittings. I will supply my own wood and do my own design. Thanks!

Edited February 3, 2022 by fnkershner

[Sterlingclements]

Waterways installed, sheer caps installed on stern and most of port side. Starboard side is not far behind. Sheer caps at the stern will also be trimmed down once I start hull planking. First deck planks installed under bowsprit and bitts.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Sterlingclements

[allanyed]

Well done!!   Seeing a framed model of a schooner is a pleasure especially considering your beautiful workmanship.

Looking forward to the next post.

Allan

[gsdpic]

Nice!  After I installed my waterways I decided they were not as wide as I would like, but left them.  I like the width of yours. 

[Sterlingclements]

I wasn't sure the wider ones would look good. Thanks for the validation! I just built the forward skylight. The plans called for a round base with eight vanes, so I thought an octagonal base would be a good choice instead. I tested it with some scrap boxwood first. It looked decent, so I made it in mahogany. It came out pretty well. Tung oiled version in last two pics.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Sterlingclements

[Sterlingclements]

More deck furniture work. Turning 15 inches of 28 gauge steel wire into 30 straight pieces for the aft skylight. I also used my new mini table saw to make dado cuts for the skylight housing corner posts, barely visible if you zoom in on the first pic below.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Sterlingclements

[Sterlingclements]

Just picked back up on this build, after an almost 2 year break to care for my father in-law. Planking is going well,  some pics below. I am only partially planking so frames, sheer/bilge clamps, deck beams, etc. can all be displayed. That's why the top most rows of planks end at frame 27 aft. Same with planks at the bow. Rudder post and rudder dry fitted. Lots of sanding in my future still.

Edited February 7 by Sterlingclements

[Andy P2]

Looking good! 

I'm going to follow your build...hopefully avoid more mistakes...

[Roger Pellett]

Just stumbled onto this.  Very nice work!  A characteristic of these c 1850-1900 East Coast Pilot and Fishing type Schooners is their lovely counter sterns.  You have captured this defining feature nicely.

 

Roger

[Sterlingclements]

Thanks @Roger Pellett, @Andy P2. Port stern planking complete at this point, pic shows stealers that I used. Lots of sanding ahead, but pretty smooth and tight fit at this point. Thanks for all the likes @gsdpic and everyone.

Edited February 25 by Sterlingclements

[Sterlingclements]

All planks glued in place. Last plank on starboard bow still clamped in place to dry. Here's a pic of the port side.

[juhu]

Absolute masterpiece. Would you leave in natural wood finish? - I really like the color of the used wood.

[Sterlingclements]

1 hour ago, juhu said:

@juhu I do plan to use a natural finish. Probably tung oil.

 

[MrBlueJacket]

Nice clean work. Beautiful joinery!

 

Nic

[Sterlingclements]

@MrBlueJacket Thanks Nic! Here are a few more pics. Sanding of the hull is complete, waste wood from keel has been removed, bowsprit with sheave installed, rudder post installed. Rudder, some of the deck furniture and mast dry fitted. Sometimes I like a preview of the finished product. There's also a close up of the tiller, hand carved. 

Edited March 9 by Sterlingclements

[Sterlingclements]

Slow going, but making progress. Last bit of planking along bulwarks/timberheads complete. I had to order some 1/32" by 1/2" basswood strips for that, as that top plank is inset slightly from the lower planking. Also started the decking in earnest. This is my first attempt at nibbling, and you can see it at the bow if you zoom in. Fine sanding still needed. Also started on the cap rail segments. Final shaping on the cap rail will smooth out the angles.

Edited April 12 by Sterlingclements

[juhu]

I really like the result - fore deck view from above with all those exposed frames is very interesting.

[juhu]

Hi,

I have been studying this and other America's build logs - have been considering as an option for me. Reading all the build logs, it seems that the frame alignment is the common issue due to rough, often asymmetrical shape. Do the kit plans show no 1:1 individual frame shape, so it would be possible to use them a s a template for exact shaping? I see each modeler takes its own approach how to cope with this challenge, but I would expect that proper profile drawing would be a must for POF model. Having not seen the actual plans, am not sure what to expect and whether I shall venture into this particular kit. Thanks for sharing any info on that in advance.

 

[gsdpic]

@juhu as I recall there are no drawings in the plans of the individual frames.   I am not sure if there were any sort of lines drawing on the plans.  The frames did require a fair amount of tweaking to get things lined up but it was not insurmountable.   But it perhaps was a bit more of an exercise of "that looks good, looks reasonable" and not an exercise of "that is the exact correct shape".

 

[Sterlingclements]

@juhu There are five detailed cross section views that roughly correspond to frames 2, 6, 15, 23 and 31. There are also 10 half-section outlines, 5 bow port side and 5 stern starboard, but there are not plans for each frame. The included plans were good guidelines, but did not really match the supplied frames very well. It is definitely more a matter of "looks good, looks reasonable" as @gsdpic said. For me, making them symmetrical first was more important. Once symmetrical, I didn't mind if the overall shape was slightly different than the plans. No one knows what the real America's exact lines were anyway. So I'm just going to assume my model's lines are dead on b**ls accurate (that's an industry term) to the original.

Edited May 5 by Sterlingclements

[Sterlingclements]

Latest update: decking is completed forward the break in the deck. I couldn't find any examples of partially planked decks online, so I went with what I thought would look good. Full planking to frame 5, but then progressively staggered open deck further aft. The nibbling was time consuming, but very satisfied with the results. Deck furniture installed as well. Finished with tung oil. I need to touch up the paint on the capstan. Aft of the break is next. The first pic  below shows the difference the tung oil makes, compared to the color of unfinished aft section.

 

 

 

Edited May 5 by Sterlingclements

[juhu]

Thanks a lot for responses. Probably I would not dare to go for this kit, but your build is impressive. I think the way you decided to left some parts of the deck planking off is very eye-catching.

[gsdpic]

Very nice update.  Your joinery, especially considering it is bass wood, is very precise.  You are justified to be very satisfied with the nibbling, it looks great.  That is something I did not even attempt.   And I like the way you have chosen to do the reveal on the deck.   For reference, below is a picture I took of the America on display in the Bluejacket store from when I visited back in 2017.   They did not reveal quite as much as you have.

[Rick310]

Nicely done!!

Rick

[Sterlingclements]

Aft deck planking installed. I have not finished with tung oil yet. I wanted to show a good contrast with the oiled fore deck. 

I have also started on the masts. Top mast is complete and installed on the main mast. Main mast is nearly complete. I need to install the sail hoops and spider. The kit supplied shiny brass hoops, but I am not sure how those will look. I may make my own. I'm open to suggestions on that. Here's some pics.

[Rick310]

Beautiful!!  I like the Tung oil on it he deck!

Rick

[gsdpic]

Looks great!  The deck is so smooth and everything fits together so tight.

 

Regarding the mast hoops.....I also was not crazy about the bright brass rings and made my own out of wood.  I checked my build log but it looks like I did not explain the process.   As I recall, I made a wooden tube using a bunch of shavings from a plane.  I carefully planed some scrap bass wood trying to maximize the length and width of the shavings then glued them around a dowel that I had wrapped with either wax paper or foil.  The shavings were already naturally curly so it was a simple matter to glue them around the dowel.   Once the glue cured, I carefully sliced the tube as I slid it off of the dowel to create a bunch of hoops.

 

[Sterlingclements]

On 6/4/2024 at 7:30 AM, gsdpic said:

Looks great!  The deck is so smooth and everything fits together so tight.

 

Regarding the mast hoops.....I also was not crazy about the bright brass rings and made my own out of wood.  I checked my build log but it looks like I did not explain the process.   As I recall, I made a wooden tube using a bunch of shavings from a plane.  I carefully planed some scrap bass wood trying to maximize the length and width of the shavings then glued them around a dowel that I had wrapped with either wax paper or foil.  The shavings were already naturally curly so it was a simple matter to glue them around the dowel.   Once the glue cured, I carefully sliced the tube as I slid it off of the dowel to create a bunch of hoops.

 

I went with some craft paper for the mast bands. Here's my first few. Not too bad for a first try. I cut thin strips, soaked them in diluted glue, then wrapped around a foil covered dowel. I later found tightly wrapping those with stretchy film got rid of ripples and voids. I will try another set applying what I've learned. Pics of first attempts below: