Rattlesnake by javajohn - Model Shipways - 1:64

[javajohn]

For my first build log I chose the Rattlesnake kit from Model Shipways because it’s just such a pretty looking ship. I think I am up to the task of building it, although I still consider my self more of a beginner-intermediate modeler.

 

I also have Bob Hunt’s Rattlesnake practicum for the Mamoli version of the kit which I will probably look to for ideas. I’ve spent quite a but of time reading other build logs for the Rattlesnake here on the forums and I have to thank all of the modelers for posting them; those build logs will help tremendously as I work through the kit.

 

The Kit

 

The kit arrived and I took inventory. I’m glad I did because it was missing the filler blocks. Model-Expo has a good missing parts policy so I got them replaced. Unfortunately, they only sent me one of the bow filler blocks, but I don’t think that will be an issue as there is plenty to go around.

 

The britannia fittings are in pretty poor shape. I’m probably going to replace most of them with alternatives. I’m not sure what to do about the transom carving. It looks like the mold may have split so the border is bulging out a bit. Also, like others have posted, the curve of the transom carving is too narrow and will have to be widened by bending it. the curve is off by so much that I fear it will break from bending.

 

The Keel

 

Construction of the keel was straightforward, but the curve where the stem meets the center keel was way off so I had to trim it you can see the amount I have to trim on the center keel in the photo. . I also had to add a shim between the two center keel pieces to get the length to match the plans. Even so, the slots were still a bit off.

 

The shim between the center keel pieces

 

I wish I had cut the rabbet before installing the keel, stem and sternpost. It would have been easier.

 

[javajohn]

Here's the completed keel before the rabbet was carved.

[javajohn]

On to the Bukkheads. The first thing I did was to copy the bulkhead templates and cut them out. I marked the reference line by placing the template over the bulkhead and lining it up as best I could, then used a knife to score the line into the wood. Here are some photos of how I did that:

 

Most of the bulkheads followed the plans pretty well, but a few were way off. Bulkheads D and H are really off. I double-checked the templates against the hull lines from the George Campbell plan included in the kit, and they are very close. It is definitely the laser-cut bulkheads that are off. Some of the templates are a bit asymmetric, but there are within maybe 0.5mm, so I think that can be corrected by shimming and sanding.

   

 

I faired bulkheads A, B and M off the model and left the others intact.

 

A few of the slots in the keel were much too narrow as can be seen here. So, they were trimmed. I made sure I trimmed the slots to match the plans as closely as possible.

 

I test fit the bulkheads on the keel and was satisfied with it. I glued each bulkhead with Titebond II one at a time, letting each set for an hour before moving on. Apparently, that wasn’t enough time – once the glue completely dried, a few of the bulkheads twisted a bit, so they are not at quite a right angle. It’s not much of an error, but now I’m wondering if I should correct it? Would it make sense to put in fillers throughout the lower part of the bulkheads as Bob Hunt does in his Rattlesnake practicum? It will be more work, but I’d like to get things accurate. Also, filling in the bulkheads might make planking easier.

 

Not letting the glue set properly, you can see this bulkhead is not at right angles to the keel.

 

Here's the final result so far:

Edited September 10, 2021 by javajohn

[javajohn]

Next Steps

 

The instructions say to fair the bulkheads before installing the filler pieces, but that seems backwards to me. Any suggestions?

 

I don’t own a scroll saw but I do have a Byrnes table saw. I was thinking about rather than using solid filler blocks and carving them to shape, to instead layer pieces of thinner stock that are easier to cut. Are there advantages either way?

[GrandpaPhil]

It would be better to fair after putting the filler pieces in because you can blend in the fairing with the filler blocks and feather it in so you have a smooth solid surface to plank over.

[yvesvidal]

Rattlesnake: Excellent choice and a ship with a lot of pedigree. I will be following your Build log.

 

Yves

[Eurus]

An interesting ship for sure! Following!

[mort stoll]

I would contact Model Shipways. I wouldn't be surprised if they replaced the subpar fittings.

 

Mort

[BobG]

I think the Rattlesnake is a very interesting and beautiful ship. I look forward to following your build. 

 

It's a bit distressing that you ran into poorly cut parts right at the start and had to make so many corrections to the bulkheads and the false keel. It's too bad that the Britannia parts are of such poor quality also. You might want to let Model Shipways know about the problems you have encountered. It's apparent that they need to update their molds for the metal parts and fix the laser cutting errors too.

 

Good job at correcting these problems though! 

[Gregory]

You might find the high resolution plans of Cormorant at Wikimedia commons helpful..  There are several different sheets..  You can click through them at the link provided.

 

 

All Rattlesnake kits are based on these plans.

 

  

 

The plans do not show any quarter badges, but they make a nice extra touch..

 

 

The carving detail and figurehead are very interesting..

Edited September 10, 2021 by Gregory

[javajohn]

Thank you all for the suggestions and comments.

 

Most of the britannia fittings I wanted to replace anyway, like the bitts, ladders, gunport lids, elm pumps and buckets. I will build my own binnacle just because I want to see if I can do it. So, I'll probably contact Model Shipways to see if they have better carvings. I think the rest I can work to make look OK.

 

I've decided to try my hand at creating fillers between the bulkheads using basswood sheets - laminating in a bread and butter buttock fashion. They should be here Monday. In the meantime I will cut up some of the laser-cut sheet to test it out. This will give me a solid hull to plank.

 

Another laser error to point out is in the last picture above showing looking aft with all the bulkheads installed - you can see on the starboard side (left in picture) of bulkhead B they cut the top correctly, but the side goes in way too far.

 

@Gregory Thanks for pointing out the plans. The transom carving is quite different than the one in the kit. The kit has a very thick border around the outer edge. Much thicker than the Campbell plan drawing in the kit, and the original plans have just a thin one near the top and bottom sides. I'm thinking if I cut off the thick border, it may just work. I will probably still go ahead and get a new transom fitting, but I can play with the one I have when the time comes.

 

John

 

[Gregory]

Something else about those cast transoms..

 

They are often a lot thicker than they need to be.  You may be able to sand them down from the back and make them easier to bend..

[Dziadeczek]

I carved my own transom from a thin piece of wood (cherry, if I remember).

[javajohn]

It's been a while since I last posted. Work on the Rattlesnake has been slow. I ordered some basswood sheets to use as fillers between the bulkheads, but I got the wrong thing - too thin and it was plywood. I tried creating a filler from it but it would take too long. So, I ordered what I think will work better - 3/8 inch solid basswood sheets. They should be here soon.

 

@Dziadeczek Your carving is unbelievable. Do you remember how long it took you to carve it?

 

On with the build...

 

I was able to carve the counter, bow and stern filler blocks. Nothing is really faired yet, just rough shaping.

 

 

I got a bit too aggressive with the filing of the starboard bow filler piece, so I made some wood filler with basswood sawdust and watered-down wood glue. It worked pretty well.

 

The counter took several hours for me to shape. I'm curious how long it usually takes. I took my time, checking and rechecking with the plans to make sure it was accurate.

Here you can see how I had to use some of the laser-cut billet material to build up the bow fillers since I was shorted on the filler blocks in the kit. I actually found building up the stern filler pieces was easier than the carving the solid blocks for the bow fillers.

 

The next step will be to fill between the bulkheads, at least in the most curved areas of the bow and stern. Then, I will start faring the hull and deck.

 

[Dziadeczek]

Hi Javajohn ,

Since I built this model a long time ago, I don't remember now how long it took me to carve the transom. A few hours, at most. (I am a painfully slow modeler, I once knew a Japanese modeler, who would build three very intricate models in the time it took me to build one!)

 

Today I took a close up, macro pic of this transom. When I look at this pic, I think that it was rather a thin slice of boxwood I carved, instead of cherry - the color is more creamy/yellowish. The rest of the stern is cherry though.

I remember I made for this task a few tiny carving gouges, two from old discarded Dremel tips ground to the desired shape, and two or three from medical needles with their tips ground properly. You cannot buy such small gouges for this work anywhere, as far as I know!

Alltogether, this model is quite difficult and tricky to build, due to its small size. I remember they said that it was intended for an intermediate modeler, but I think that because of the size of tiny details and their delicate nature, it should be build by a more advanced modeler. One has to have a delicate touch and respect for the wood, plus very sharp tools...

PS: I just first noticed this glue blob oozing from the underneath of the lower left end of the transom;  the pic is much larger than the model, so it exaggerates details and imperfections...

Happy modeling!

[javajohn]

It's been a while since my last update. Unfortunately, I injured my right wrist and have not been able to work on the model. It is almost healed now so I will be able to continue working this weekend.

 

I started fairing the hull before my wrist issue and decided I'd try to get the bulkheads as symmetrical as possible first using the templates with some sanding and shimming, then put in the support blocks before final fairing. 

 

In hindsight, it might have been easier to do the initial trimming and shimming of the bulkheads before they were attached to the model. The curves above the deck line are pretty inconsistent too; the bulkhead drawings don't match the hull plan above the deck line. So, there will be much trimming and shimming to get everything to line up properly. In all my previous models, I never paid this much attention to the accuracy of the hull. I hope it pays off!

 

I hope to have some pictures next week of my progress

 

John

 

[javajohn]

This week has all been about fairing the bulkheads. The templates were pretty close to the plans, but the laser cut pieces were not symmetrical, so some had shims on one side and trimming on the other. I also added support blocks to stiffen up the hull.

 

The first thing to do was to add supports to stiffen up the hull. Some of the bulkheads were a bit out of alignment and the support blocks squared them up nicely. Rubber bands and hemostats make great clamps.

 

 

Here you can see two bulkheads were there I had to add quite a thick shim.. Later on, I trimmed the inside of these bulkheads.

 

To check the curvature of the quarter and forecastle decks, I made a template out of some card stock.

 

Here is the final result. I think there will still be some trimming and shimming to be done, especially on the bulwarks side, but I'm pretty happy with it. I also finally made a building jig to hold the model in place. I created a very slight taper to hold the keel, maybe 0.5 mm difference from end-to-end. This allows me to put the model into the jig and push it towards the tapered end to "lock" it. I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not, but I don't have to use any clamps.

Edited October 11, 2021 by javajohn

[javajohn]

I'm starting to look at the transom now. There are a few concerns I have with the transom that I'm trying to figure out how best to resolve.

The first is if I should plank the transom. I think it will look better, even though I plan on painting the ship. If I do plank the transom, should I reduce its thickness to compensate for the planks?

 

The second is the windows. They are cut too small. It will not be possible to glue them into the frames, so I'm wondering how best to fix that. I like how Dziadeczek framed his windows, so I might do that.

[javajohn]

Slow progress this last week. There are always more important things to do than our hobbies!

 

I decided to wait on the transom. After reading others' attempts to do carvings, I am going to take a crack at it. So, I'm going to order some boxwood and carving bits for the Dremel, and start the learning process. Through other's recommendations here, I purchased Bill Short's book on carving.

 

In the meantime, I started working on the gun ports.

[Gregory]

Have you looked at the NRG's carving project?

[javajohn]

I won't have much time again next week because were are taking a long-needed vacation, but I hope to get back to it as soon as I can.

 

-- John

[javajohn]

Thanks, @Gregory, I didn't even bother to look for a carving section on the site. That will be a tremendous help!

[javajohn]

I've made some progress, but have not had much time. The gunports and oarports are framed and I started work on the transom.

 

The gunport framing:

 

I decided to cut some thin strips of cherry as planks on the transom. I wanted to get the idea that these were planked, rahter than use the solid piece of basswood. It still needs some sanding.

 

I cut the transom sides away to align with the ship plans and based on Robert Hunt's practicum for the Mamoli version. I also filled in the center window with a plug.

 

[javajohn]

The next step is to do some painting.

 

I'm going to use napthol crimson for the gun and oar port frames. The instructions say use grey, but other modelers said that was not accurate; ships of the period likely had red bulwarks.

 

The instructions suggest painting the transom Yellow Ochre and the window frames white. I think that is what I'll do.

 

I was thinking it would be easier to paint the windows off-model, and then install them after they are painted. The same goes for the molding pieces.

 

Also, I may buy some microscope glass cover slips to make window glass. I've not tried that before. I've used clear plastic from package containers and it works reasonably well, but though to go the extra mile and try real glass.

Edited November 13, 2021 by javajohn

[whitejamest]

Looks like it's coming along very nicely. I'll be curious to see how the microscope cover slips come out.

[javajohn]

Thanks @whitejamest! I'm going to follow your Speedy build. After I'm done with this model, I'll get one of the Vanguard models - the kit quality is amazing. I'm also a very slow builder and like to take my time and think about how to do the next step.

[javajohn]

More work on the transom.

 

I tried using an airbrush to paint the window frames, but that was unsuccessful. I just couldn't get a good coverage. I ended up watering down the paint and applying a few coats with a brush. I think it still may have been too thick.

 

The microscope coverslips arrived, so I installed the windows. I used a tungsten-carbide scribe pen to cut out the windows. I found the easiest way to do so was to first cut a template out of paper, then dampen it and stick it on the glass. I probably could have used PVA, but water was sufficient to keep the template from moving around. Then I used a metal ruler to guide the scribe pen on each of the sides. It required very little pressure, but a few strokes and the glass came free easily.

 

I had a bit of problem with the CA glue getting all over the place. I put just four tiny dots of CA in the corners, but it had a way of moving around as I placed the glass. I used medium CA. I made the mistake of attempting to clean oil (aka fingerprints) off the glass on the left-most window by dumping the assembly into a jar of alcohol. That just started to dissolve the paint and deposited it on the glass. I won't make that mistake again!

 

I also decided to bend the transom using heat off-model before installing the frames. I feared bending it after the glass was installed could break the glass.

 

The final result is not too bad, but not great. I ordered some micro applicators that dentists use and I'll use them to carefully clean up the windows before I install it on the model. It also needs a bit of paint touchup.

Edited November 20, 2021 by javajohn

[whitejamest]

Nice work on the transom. I like the effect of the cover slips. Hard to beat glass for replicating the translucency of glass. I'll have to remember the tungsten-carbide scribe pen, I've not seen those before. 

 

What chemical will you use on the micro applicators to clean the glass? 

[javajohn]

I used acetone, 99% isopropyl alchohol and pure water as cleaning agents. I couldn't quite get into the corners, but it turned out ok.  Here's a picture of the dental applicator next to a Q-tip so you can see how much smaller they are.

 

 

 an example

I painted some cardstock light blue and glued it on the back of the transom to suggest some depth in the windows. Here's the result:

 

 

 

[javajohn]

I started working on the waterways. I bought one of the Micro Mark plank bending machines to see if I could use it to bend the waterway planks near the bow. Well, that was a big fail. The kit-supplied basswood strips are simply too soft to use in the machine and just get compressed.

 

So, I'm thinking of abandoning the basswood for the hull planking, waterways, etc. and use something a little harder.

 

I have a 1/8" plank of cherry I can use to make a 1/8" square strip for the waterways. Since I'll be painting them, it doesn't matter what type of wood I use, but I will try that tomorrow. It's Thanksgiving today, and I have to get ready!

 

In the meantime, to all of you in the US, have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

 

John