Smuggler by juhu - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters- 1:48

[juhu]

Hi all,

now I would like to kindly ask for an advice / opinion on one construction detail. I know it is totally small thing, maybe not worthy to discuss, but why not to learn something and possibly do it right?

 

Fwd. castle gratings: AI know at the sea / under foul weather the hatch would be secured by a proper solid covers. Kit instructions call for hatch covers then to be placed OVER the grating. This to me implies the necessity to sink the grating little bit into the hatch frame, so there is a space to lay covers flush with the hatch top. Like here:

 

 

BUT Chappele's American Fishing schooner calls for hatch to be covered be either grating or replaced by solid covers, when needed. This would mean that the grating shall be posed just flush with the hatch top edge:

 

What would you suggest? Thanks.

[allanyed]

Hi South

Your photos show over all very nice workmanship.

Your question  is intriguing.   When Chapelle refers to solid covers, it sounds like it would be a solid wood cover, but perhaps canvas over the grating.

Another possible solution is having the grating flush as in your second photo and then  a cover with sides. see sketch

below. I really have no firm answer, but over all I would trust Chapelle the vast majority of the time and would rarely trust many kits without doing some researching as you have done.  

 

Allan
   

Edited November 29, 2021 by allanyed

[juhu]

Hi Allan

thanks a lot for the hint. The idea of covering the grating with canvas or some cover with sides sounds very logical. I would go then for the second option, following the Chapelle's book.

Regards

Juraj

[juhu]

Forward companionways finished, ready to be placed on the deck

 

 

 

[allanyed]

FINE work Juraj!  I am look forward to seeing  Smuggler make progress.

Does your kit include sails?  Looking at the Blue Jacket kit on line I only see photos of Smuggler without sails, thus my question. 

 

Allan

[juhu]

6 hours ago, allanyed said:

FINE work Juraj!  I am look forward to seeing  Smuggler make progress.

Does your kit include sails?  Looking at the Blue Jacket kit on line I only see photos of Smuggler without sails, thus my question. 

 

Allan

Hi Allan,

thank you!

No, there is no material for sails provided, but the kit plans show the sails in full details. I have already purchased suitable material and for sure plan to display her with sails. I think these fore-aft rigged vessels really deserve to be displayed with sails. Hope it will work to my expectations.

[allanyed]

 Juraj

When you say suitable materials, I assume it is silk span not cloth as there is no woven cloth in existence that is appropriately scaled at scales smaller than about 1:12 or perhaps 1:24.   There has been a LOT of discussion on sail making in the past year here at MSW and worth studying.   There is also an excellent pamphlet for $7US by David Antscherl available from Seawatch books as well as YouTube videos on making realistic sails using silkspan.

 

Allan

[juhu]

Hi Allan,

thanks for the hint. Will need to check. Sail making is long way ahead, so I have not done yet any proper examination. I have purchased some dedicated "sail cloth" for ship modelling, I believe made by Amati (would need to check). Will see when I open it, it it qualifies.

Juraj

Edited December 1, 2021 by juhu

[allanyed]

Juraj,

Sorry to say but Amati does not always provide materials to scale.  I hope this is not the case for the sail material, but if it is woven it will probably not be to scale.  Plus, if it is cloth and you need to sew seams and such, there is no way to stich at scale that I have seen.  

Cheers

 

Allan

 

[juhu]

Hi Allan,

thanks for useful hints. Smuggler being my first wooden ship model, it is good to have such an advice in advance. I purchased the cloth from Amati as the only available option - I have chosen the finer one from two they offer. Not sure if it is usable or not. I like the slightly "aged" color, the structure is visible, as seen in attachment, but it is quite a close-up photo, not what can be seen from normal viewing distance. What would you think of it?

Maybe when time comes, I will need to have a look for alternatives. The problem is I could not detect anything like silk span, or what shall I look for in the shops in my country. Would you have any suggestion for a concrete thread here in the forum, where a good photos can be found? I will search on youtube for videos you mention. Thanks

Regards

Juraj

[MrBlueJacket]

Silkspan is what stick-and-tissue airplane modelers cover their models with. Perhaps a hobby store might carry it. Here is a photo of Sultana with silkspan sails.

 

[juhu]

35 minutes ago, MrBlueJacket said:

Silkspan is what stick-and-tissue airplane modelers cover their models with. Perhaps a hobby store might carry it. Here is a photo of Sultana with silkspan sails.

 

Thanks a lot! Now I know what is meant - I used to use it when I was a boy building flying simple planes....

[juhu]

Work goes on with anchor chain box

 

Deck attachment is a bit fiddly. In addition to kit's plan I have added some bottom framing and fixing ropes according to Chapelle's book.

 

Glued to the deck together with companionways

 

 

 

[juhu]

As a next step I have created main- & quarterdeck hatches.

 

To have a break from wood work, I decided to prepare anchors . The pieces were cleaned but.... well, to be honest, the metal castings supplied with the kit caused me some headaches already. Particularly those parts that try to "simulate" wooden elements. In earlier stage I had trouble with trail-boards, where each of both was of different length, width and thickness. There I decided to go with it. But here again, one of the anchor "wooden" stock pieces is so off in cross size, that it can hardly be used. I guess I will create new pair from the wood, am just a bit afraid - stock pieces are tapered to the ends across diagonal, not so easy to follow, lets see how it would go.

 

 

[juhu]

Another step forward. Hatches and galley stack in place:

 

And promised anchors finished too. The kit instructions provides nice comprehensive notes on anchor configuration. According to it, mackerel seiner used only for seasonal duties (during summer) would have both anchors attached to chain cables. While only the port one was in common use, the anchor on starboard was used very rarely. This will be then also the way how they will be displayed. So no anchor rope cable on the deck. (and I wanted to test the rope maker tool on one )

Edited December 15, 2021 by juhu

[juhu]

Another update after a while: Fife rail with pumps finished, work begins on cabin trunk.

 

[gsdpic]

I've been following this build and clicking on the like button, but felt like it was about time to comment.  This is a really nice looking build!   I too like the appearance of the more natural finish, though have not tried it myself.   It takes a really careful, neat, tidy build when you know that you cannot cover mistakes with paint and you are certainly accomplishing that.

 

[BobG]

I just found your log and enjoyed reading through it. You are doing fantastic work on this complicated model and the modifications you are making are outstanding!

 

I agree with you that the lines of these fishing vessels are incredibly beautiful. I have admired the Smuggler from the first time I saw it but, unfortunately, I don't fancy working with a solid hull. I have the Pride of Baltimore by Model Shipways on the shelf that I hope to build someday though. Although it is a POB model, it has its own set of problems also from what I have seen in the build logs of her here.

 

Quite a few of the wonderful Model Shipways and Bluejacket models are showing their age and I think they would benefit greatly from being updated with better materials, instructions and especially better fittings. The old style, cast metal fittings can be particularly sad looking and require a lot of detail work to make them look decent. However, regardless of the challenges of this kit, you are making a spectacular model.

 

I look forward to watching your progress. 
 

[juhu]

Thank you for all the likes and kind comments from Gary and Bob. I fully agree these older kits are somehow showing their age. Speaking strictly in materialist language, they are quite pricey for what they offer - I think many metal castings could have been betteromitted considering their quality. On the other hand I must say, exactly this is something that teaches me more than any tutorial or manual. I like the freedom in creation and design thinking, without any complicated laser cut parts or 3D moldings, there is always a chance to repeat the things and rework the ill-went doings (which I had to do several times already). This is so different from crisp plastic kits, where everything is prepared to the last rivet, but once screwed, alas...

 

As this is my first wooden kit, there is a lot for me to learn, but I like the look of the natural wood more and more and if the next build comes, I think I will do it in the same manner.

 

Bob: PoB from Model Shipways has been my favorite kit. The only reason I did not go for it was the scale - I want to keep 1:48, so it matches my other (plastic) kits on the shelf.

[juhu]

Further steps, first bait box atop of the cabin trunk is being completed. The base is from the balsa wood and then planked with the thin veneer.

 

 

Bait box done. Skeleton for the skylight is prepared and small compass housing too. It will not be seen too much of it anyway behind that small oval window, but at least for the good "it-is-there" feeling

 

 

[juhu]

Cabin trunk finished and installed on the deck.

 

[BobG]

Beautiful work, juhu!

[Vladimir_Wairoa]

Great work Juraj. 

Paráda. Vlado

 

 

[juhu]

Thank you !

[juhu]

I focused myself now on some fishing equipment. The ship is featuring quite a prominent rough grating, supposed to be a resting place for a seine as I understood. I created one using the kit stock, but I found it to be looking quite sad, being so empty. After a while of thinking, I borrowed a piece of bandage from our home med-kit and tried to simulate mackerel seine.

 

 

Am glad I tried - when properly stretched, squeezed and glued to a desired shape, it looks acceptable for me.

To complete the equipment, seine roller was installed on the top of the port monkey rail.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by juhu

[BobG]

Great work on the mackerel seine, juju! It's very realistic!

[juhu]

Thank you Bob and as well thanks to all encouraging likes. Here show goes on. I carry on with steering gear housing:

 

 

I also start to play with rope walk. Real fun to use. I enjoyed it so much , that I decided to place a final product on the ship. Originally I did not intend to, supposed seasonal mackerel seiner had probably both anchors operated by chain, but I could not resist . After all, am sure I have so many other mistakes in my build, that this additional historical inaccuracy will not harm. And as said, for full season vessels, the hemp cable for the starboard anchor is authentic and appropriate, so what

 

 

 

Once done, I have added some small details to make the ship more "alive". And started to work on a dory boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[juhu]

Hi all!

 

Another update, the work on dory goes on...

 

Almost there...

 

Time to employ little bit of chemistry to make the thing "alive"

 

[Nirvana]

Juhu,

I have to applaud you, your model and building technique is crisp and clean.

Regarding the sails, i.e silkspan is a good option when it comes to furled sails.

Experiment with this material; as adding layers can create problems and unrealistic shape, single layer will look better but is harder to put into place as it can or will tear easily.

I have found a very thin silk (not silk span) at a fabric store called JoAnns here in the USA, that I will use on my Bluenose and America.

But again very nice and sharp build you have done!

 

 

[juhu]

Hi Nirvana, thank you. Am so far happy with the progress and appreciate all the support from here - being my first wooden model ship, it always gives me the additional boost for further progress!

As for sail material, I have recently purchased this. It looks very finely structured, also the color I believe is more realistic than usual white. Will see, how it would suit: