Rattlesnake by Dave_E - Model Shipways - 1:64

[Dave_E]

Now there’s something outside the model building box. 😆 You know If it works… go with it. 👍😀

[Ed Ku20]

Dave, are you using an air brush or regular paint brush?  If air, make sure you buy paint made for an air brush.  I've had trouble with paint flow otherwise.  I did not like the ME paints I got for my Bluenose.  I used Vallejo paints, either their Model Air or Model Color paint.  Had good results with them.  You can buy most of these singly on Amazon.  I purchased Model Air "Off White" for the lower hull.  I kind of like the "tallow" color look together with the yellow ochre and black above.  So, I guess everyone has their own eye for color!!

[Dave_E]

Hi Ed,

 

At the moment I am strictly a brush guy. I am considering investing the equipment, not so much for wooden ships, but my my plastic endeavors.

[Dave_E]

Spent the last couple days tinkering with the stern. The Britannia piece did bend quite easy, now waiting for some blue paint. Left the window frames natural wood. The bright white just didn’t do it for me.

[javajohn]

Hi Dave, your transom looks really good. I wish I'd painted the interior of mine darker like yours.

[Keith Black]

Dave, curious question. Why did you leave the center window blank? 

[David Lester]

Hi Dave,

Your stern windows look great.

I'm glad you were able to bend the stern piece with success. I don't believe it's identical to the one on my Mamoli Rattlesnake, but it's very similar. Mine had to be bent to fit too, but I wasn't quite as successful and broke it. However it wasn't really a problem (it actually made it easy to fit) and I was able to fit it without the repair showing up

I know there are many different ways to paint this kind of part, but here's a method that I discovered in a BlueJacket newsletter and I found it worked really well for me.

 

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News--tips--and-happenings-from-BlueJacket-Shipcrafters--Inc-.html?soid=1105166336677&aid=EmTQZTxYvqc

 

 

David

 

 

[Gregory]

2 hours ago, Keith Black said:

Dave, curious question. Why did you leave the center window blank? 

If I may..

That's the way it's shown on the NMM drawings..

[Keith Black]

11 minutes ago, Gregory said:

That's the way it's shown on the NMM drawings..

Was It a stern cannon port?

 

Without proper research one could certainly go astray trusting a model manufacture. Here is the stern view of Model Shipways Rattlesnake.

[Dave_E]

Thanks Dave. The reason I did not do the center window was because as mentioned it appears the real ship, according to the Admiralty drawings (after capture and subsequent renaming to Cormorant) didn’t have one. Dave, your paint scheme for the Britannia is exactly the colors I have chosen. Thanks for the painting link! 👍😀

[James G]

Your build is looking very nice Dave! Pulling up a chair now. I’ve used my airbrush at times for both wood and plastic modeling. A wonderful addition and a fun rabbit hole to wander down.

[Knocklouder]

Dave she looking really good, I like the way you Rattlesnake builders do things  if I didn't buy so many models I would get this one lol. Buy an airbrush, join me down the rabbit hole  lol 

Edited November 29, 2022 by Knocklouder

[Gregory]

1 hour ago, Keith Black said:

Was It a stern cannon port?

 

 

The rudder post runs in front of it.

I don't think a dummy window would look bad..  It's one of those things I think the builder should use their judgment..  

I'm leaning toward a dummy window .  I think it looks more balanced that way..

[Dave_E]

Here are a couple photos I took just so you could see what I did to make the stern piece “fit”. First one shows that mine did not end up per the drawing which is what the laser cut part was. I never figured out how to make the laser cut part fit. Second photo is how the Britannia fit after bending.

 

 

[Dave_E]

After studying some more… did any of you other MS builders get this piece in your kit? Nothing mentioned anywhere that I can find.

 

[Oldsalt1950]

It didn't come with mine.

 

Jim

 

[javajohn]

I'm pretty sure those are the fashion pieces. The instructions say you have to custom shape them (Fig. 11 in the instructions). It doesn't mention carvings, though. I think they left that detail out.

 

Your transom looks excellent, Dave. I could not get the britannia stern carving to bend properly to fit the transom, so I am going to attempt creating it out of wood when the time comes. It will give me some practice with engraving which I've never done.

Edited December 5, 2022 by javajohn

[allanyed]

Those are counter timbers.  Fashion piece is the aft most frame to which some of the transoms fay.  I don't know the shape for Rattlesnake, but they look like the below on most ships.  I think the buldges down low are less pronounced on Rattlesnake based on the dashed lines on the drawing you posted.

Allan

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by allanyed

[glbarlow]

They go on the top of the completed planking as the plans show. Painted similar to the transom they are largely decorative. I’ve alway called them, perhaps incorrectly, fashion pieces since they’re fungi’s to look pretty. 

[Kenneth Powell]

Not in mine. The drawing shows the thickness of the wooden transom and metal stern piece with the DIY fashion piece . . . At least that's the way I did it.

Some parts of the plan drawings are from the real ship.

 

 - Kenneth

[Gregory]

Hello Dave and everyone following this.

I'm really glad the inconsistencies of the MS plans regarding the transom, and what is being done to overcome them, have come to light.

At some point, I hope to get a good rendition of the transom as it appears on the NMM drawings.

That would not happen if I had charged ahead with the MS plans as drawn.

Clearly MS has produced the carvings as a piece to provide kit builders with something in keeping with the spirit of the ship as documented, rather than an accurate replica.

This was done at a time when the technology we have today wasn't available.

I have overlayed an image of the NMM drawing over the MS plans, and scaled it as accurately As I can.  These are my upscaled plans of the MS Plans.  The NMM overlay is from a copy of the plans I acquired from the NMM.

However, the drawings available at WIKI Commons are better than my copy from the NMM.

Note how the alignment is pretty good from the top of the stern rail to the bottom of the counter, but everything in between is problematic.

 

It appears the MS transom is slightly bigger than the NMM drawings to accommodate their casting, rather than having created a carving to match the NMM  drawings.

I'm glad I discovered this before reached the point where I will attempt to duplicate the carvings, which will probably be  a while from now.

I hope the kit builders will not see this as a shortcoming beyond the technology that was available when this kit was designed.

If you are going to use the MS casting; make it work for you.

It is such a great subject and the MS kit is a great foundation for a finished model that anyone can be proud of.

I think it is great how we can get together to decide how to get the best result we can.

 

P.S.

 

While I said ' everything ' between the rail and counter was problematic,  I should say the problem lies mainly with the width.

It looks like the layout  and position of the windows is very good.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Gregory

[allanyed]

Out of curiousity, which Rattlesnake is your model? There were several in the RN and two in the USN. (1780 and 1813)   

Thanks

Allan

[Gregory]

The lines are of Cormorant ..  Linked to above.  It was Rattlesnake, renamed Cormorant after capture, then later renamed Rattlesnake.

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Ship_plans_of_the_Royal_Museums_Greenwich&fileuntil=Cullloden+(1776)+3.jpg#/media/File:Cormorant_(captured_1781)_RMG_J5106.png

 

It is the basis for the MS and Mamoli kits.

 

I

Edited December 6, 2022 by Gregory

[allanyed]

Thanks Gregory!  I missed her when down loading the high res drawings from the Wiki Commons list into folders.  These folders are set up by number of guns and misc. folders such as bomb vessels, boats, etc.    I would love to share but there are over 40GB.  MSW expressed an interest to set up a file for all members to access but other priorities over the past year or so have prevented this being done.   If there is an easy way to do this for free, I would love to know so these can be shared.  I have added contracts to the folders where appropriate and low res plans if a set was incomplete for a given vessel.   

 

Allan

 

 

[Dave_E]

Hi All,

 

We’re back from our month in Hawaii and as much as I had fun (sun burn, screaming grandkids, moody daughter-in-law and losing too many games of chess to our son) I’m glad to be home. Here is the Britannia stern piece… finding out just how hard this is to paint free hand. The raised portions of the casting do not allow some of the techniques I’ve seen. Two feet away… eh. 😉 I’ve got some touch up to do.

 

This is also my 1000th post on the forum! 😀 Honesty, I have been on many forums in my life with different hobbies and interests (there are forums for any subject on the planet) but have never had the involvement that I do with MSW. The month I was in Hawaii, it was a joy to open up the forum every day or two and see what the boys have been doing. What I did not know when I joined is that MSW is not just for wooden model shipbuilding! Card, plastic, wood, bottles… ships, planes, anything, and I’d guess that many of us do dabble in more than one modeling medium.

 

Anyway, glad I’m here and enjoy the many online friendships. God Bless you and Happy new year to all! 👍😀

[Oldsalt1950]

Looks good Dave. Free hand painting can be a bit daunting. A really fine bristled brush however works well.

 

Jim

 

[Keith Black]

 Dave, the painting looks great and welcome back. 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Keith Black

[Glen McGuire]

Nice work on the detailed painting, Dave.  

 

3 hours ago, Dave_E said:

it was a joy to open up the forum every day or two and see what the boys have been doing.

Totally agree.  I'm between projects but still hop on MSW all the time to see what progress everyone is making.  God bless and happy new year to you too!  

[javajohn]

Excellent job on the stern piece, Dave. It looks to me like you spent time cleaning up the piece before painting it.

 

Have a happy new year!

 

John

[No Idea]

On 12/4/2022 at 10:35 PM, Dave_E said:

After studying some more… did any of you other MS builders get this piece in your kit? Nothing mentioned anywhere that I can find.

 

Dave this looks like a decorative covering for the dogs legs (The very outer counter timbers which are shaped to match the lines of the stern). Lovely build BTW