Marie Celeste by Bill Hudson - Steingraeber - salvaging an old model kit

[Bill Hudson]

I bought this kit from a local hobby shop about 1971.  I started building on it but my 12 year old son took it over and started the planking.  He go about 3/4 the way on the planking and lost interest.  After all these years of living in closets I finally decided to try to salvage it. What you see in the photos is the condition it is now. 

 

I'm having a problem deciding whether to strip off the planking and start over or to try to salvage it as it is. I am  hoping this can be a build log.  We'll see. 

 

I am open to feed back and suggestions.

[Bill Hudson]

If I decide to strip off the planking and re-plank the model, what wood is best for planks? There is not enough plank material left in the kit.

[Wintergreen]

I think it's twofold if you should leave the planking or rip it off. 

Leaving it on pays credit to your sons work and it doesn't look that bad from what I can see in the pictures. Putty, sanding and paint and will all look splendid.

If you rip it off, where to end the "rebuild"? 😉 

 

As for planking stock I have no real input. My next ship will be planked with birch but it all depends on what is available and cost.

[Veszett Roka]

Hi Bill,

 

As the kit is 50 years old, I'd consider the glue first. If it is still hard enough and the planks aren't loose cement somewhere, i would leave the planking intact. Some sanding will be needed at the bow however, but after painting it will be neat.
 

[Bill Hudson]

Thank you Hakan and Veszett, I'm feeling the same way. I will keep the planking. Our son grew up  to be a wonderful and talented man. He will turn 61 at the end of this month. 

My wood options, from my wood bin, are cedar, cherry, Western red alder or white oak. But now thatI I am keeping the planking intact, I will have enough planks left in the box to finish.

 

Bill

Edited April 16, 2021 by Bill Hudson

[Bill Hudson]

I got off to a slow start today. Was going to finish the planking but discovered the last plank that had been installed was sort of an S shape. I decided to take out some of  the major curve. Then the tremors hit my right hand and I had to stop before I could get a nice cut line. So far it is looking pretty crude. But I should be able to refine it better  the next session. It would have been nice if I could've pulled off that plank and taken my little plane to it. 

As much as I don't like using filler I think I am going to have to fill-in a lot of joints.  Any suggestions which type of filler is bast for hulls? Any one eve use spackle?

 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Bill Hudson

[Bill Hudson]

Going through the instruction sheet. I do not find any thing bout how to anchor the bowsprit  to the deck. the instructions says glue it to the deck.  Some  how the does not seem the best way.

 

 

 

[Wintergreen]

Bowsprits can have they're back end fastened between to sturdy vertical bits. But design varies of course.

As for filler, I would use fine filler from the hardware store. The one you use for covering up nails in trimmings and such. Usually sold in plastic tubes.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Wintergreen

[Bill Hudson]

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far the going on this project seems slow. I finally got the planking finished. The planking material is a little too thick to make the twists needed at the bow. I used spackle as a filler. I think it will take quite a bit of sanding to reach a smooth surface. 

 

Bill

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Bill Hudson

[Bill Hudson]

I sprayed on several cots of high build primer. I buy it at the local Industrial Finishes store. ( have no affiliations with this primer producer). It sprays on in a heavy coat. Once thoroughly dried it can be sanded down to the wood leaving any flaw filled with primer. It took several sprayings and sanding to cover up the voids in the planking. With progressive sanding with finer grits it is possible to achieve a very smooth base finish. 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Bill Hudson

[Wintergreen]

Looks like a very acceptable hull now!

Never heard of a product like that, but it seemed to do the trick well for you.

[Veszett Roka]

Wow. Simply wow.

[Bill Hudson]

Very slow going. Finally figured how to do the bulwarks, at least a way that works for me. 

 

[Wintergreen]

If it works for you, it definitely works for us as bystanders 🙂 

Fiddly work nevertheless.

 

Keep it up!

[Bill Hudson]

I finally have the bulwarks done.I bulked up the transom by planking in it inside. I was hoping I could save the deck but its is too scarred up from years of knocking around. So a new deck is also on my punch list. 

 

Bill

[Veszett Roka]

Hi Bill,

 

very good looking ship, you performed awesome salvaging work. For the deck, cannot it be recovered by sanding? Just for authenticity of the 50 years kit.

[Bill Hudson]

Veszett,   I have hopes of being able to salvage some the decking that would be removed when I install the cabin. There are  couple of spots where decking is missing or there are some very deep marks that appear to be from clamps and too deep sand out. The decking material is only about 1mm thick.

Thank you for your feedback.  

Bill

[Bill Hudson]

Although it is still a little rough I have decided to use the old deck.  I was able to sand (could not find a Holystone to scale so used sand paper) out many off the dings and nicks with out sanding through the thin deck material.  I was able to remove some planks from the area where the cabin will be mounted to patch the large hole that was in the deck;

 I'm not sure if I want stain it with a light stain. I can experiment a little under the cabin and cargo hatch locations.

 

Bill

Edited April 30, 2021 by Bill Hudson

[Veszett Roka]

All original! Brilliant! Your big little boy will be proud of you. And i hope a bit jealous, too :)

[Bill Hudson]

7 hours ago, Veszett Roka said:

All original! Brilliant! Your big little boy will be proud of you. And i hope a bit jealous, too

He is happy to see me finishing it. Today is his 61st birthday but it will not be done in time. Maybe his 62nd.  I will be 90 by then if I make it that far.

[Veszett Roka]

18 hours ago, Bill Hudson said:

He is happy to see me finishing it. Today is his 61st birthday but it will not be done in time. Maybe his 62nd.  I will be 90 by then if I make it that far.

 

Happy birthday to him! I'm happy to see you finishing her too

[Bill Hudson]

Working on the cabin.  Have not figured what to use for portholes.

 

Bill

[Wintergreen]

Looks good!

If you have a hole punch of some sort, you can always use painted paper. I saw someone making rescue rings that way.

[Bill Hudson]

Time goes slow. Have the main cabin about done. The camera sees more than I can see so need to go back and touch up. Used 0-90 brass washers for portholes.  Also added the cargo hatches. Nothing is glued down yet.

the cabin is held in place with positioning pegs through the deck.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Bill Hudson
add picture

[Veszett Roka]

13 hours ago, Bill Hudson said:

 

 

 

 

Hi Bill,

 

if you allow me a hint: paint the skylight windows light grey. Usually they were opal glass, however no guarantee for all. At least the two ship has opal glas covers, as i see them on Peking and same on Balclutha:

 

 

https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ca1493.sheet/?sp=62

 

This will be a very good looking model anyways.

Cheers,

Miki

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Veszett Roka

[Bill Hudson]

The plan sheet is not clear about where the fife rails are located. Just a general area of where they should go. I also don't know how many pins are to be in each rail. Any ideas would be helpful.

Bill

[Bill Hudson]

I have been researching the Mary Celeste.  I find several pictures of her having a forward cabin and after cabin. I am debating with myself; do I include a forward cabin on this model?  Several pictures also show a lower bulwark with lifelines on top. Many the pictures show the ship in different configurations so I am confused as to what is correct. I am also wondering what information the kit producers were working from. Because of the kit's lack of detail I feel at liberty too add details I feel belong on the ship.  Feed back on this very welcomed.

 

Bill

 

[Wintergreen]

The answer would be - it depends 😉

Ships configuration changes over time. First as built, then the first owner adds something. Later maybe a change of career and other alterations are done.

Then a ship can go from working boat to leisure craft and yet more alterations are done.

If you could set a date on the pictures you've found I guess you will see that they depicts the ship at different stages of its service life.

Finally, just make a decision and go with that. In this case you are the master shipwright and have all the power to decide 😉 

 

Keep it up!

[Shotlocker]

Bill,

 

I have to agree with Wintergreen in that, because of the dearth of information on that ship, I became the "master shipwright"

and just decided to build the deck furniture and fixtures as I saw fit, knowing that it in no way probably resembles the original.

Sure took the frustration out of the build by doing it that way and I have a nice-looking model that I and others can enjoy looking

at. Pretty sure I won't be questioned on it!

 

Cheers,

Gary

[Veszett Roka]

Another "agree" from me. As a retired sailor (albeit on an olympic race class) i can say that the ships are living. The owners and crew continously trying to modify their lady to get better handling, for more convenient working, for beauty, and not last: pride! We did it too.

If you can pinpoint an exact time, the model can be accurate. If you cannot, then everything permitted and only your eyes are the judges. IF you enjoy the model, then thats a bigest success no doubt.