WJV Decorator by KitNiec - RESTORATION - 1940s Decorator Model built by Wm. J Veith with restoration by Great Granddaughter

[KitNiec]

I have fond memories of this sitting on a tall dresser in the spare bedroom growing up, climbing to the top of the dresser to marvel at it...at least until my parents made the room mine then up into the attic it went. After getting stuck in a hot attic for the last 25 years I am finally in a place to work on this. I just bought my first house and in the sweap to get things for myself I claimed it, now I just need to fix it up a bit so that it's not falling apart.

 The goal is to not destroy anything that I can't fix, which means the rigging has to stay and I'm trying to keep as much of the paint on it as I can.

 

One good thing is the sails and cannon covers are made of metal. I think tin? Whatever it is it didn't rust at all and where the paint flakes off it's shiny underneath. Plan for them is to let them be as much as I can. 

 

The major damage is the front mast and railing is a bit busted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The way the front piece looks it's missing half of it, so I'm going to have to make a new piece. I'm thinking of making it out of some thin wood to match the other half. Also the hole in the center makes me think I'm missing a pointy bit, like the rear has.

 Sorry that it's sideways.

 

 

These bits have fallen off, but shouldn't be too hard to put back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other major issue is the 2mm of dust coating everything 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at this little lady drowning in dust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't have an air compressor, but I did get this little rechargeable paint sprayer in a craft kit. I haven't used it to paint with yet so it's clean and has a gentle air stream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2am is really not when I should be writing a log...so off to bed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Macika]

Looks like a challenge to my beginner eyes. Best of luck with the restoration and keep us posted.

[jerome]

Neat.

she will look beautiful once again with your help.

[KitNiec]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dusted a bit last night and ended up with a with a pile on the deck.

 

 

 

 

 

Tape to the rescue. I don't have a vacuum yet, I'm waiting for

Black Friday to roll around.

 

 

Paint sprayer worked well as a air compressor, was a very gentle air stream. Though there was a bit of Paint that was loose 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found the holes for the ladder so I put that back in place.

Also found a ladder rung while dusting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a solid hull ship. Which makes sense GG. Wm. was a wood carver not a ship builder. I need to see if my dad has the wood working books that this was based on. He got most of GG Wm. carving tools and books.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here ends the second log. Thanks for all the well wishes.

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by KitNiec

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Kit, welcome to the forum. Good luck with your restoration. Great looking photos!

[KitNiec]

And back to writing out a third log...

This one doesn't have much progress in it, but I do want to talk about displays. When I first mentioned to my parents that I wanted the ship they were kind of surprised, it had spent the last 25 years in the attic out of sight out of mind, right? They didn't realize that I still remember climbing to look at it, I don't even think they knew that I was interested in it when I was a kid.

I tend to be drawn to old things like The Fiske Tank (Definitely needs caps) we got it after my grandma died and it spent winter outside then got moved into the shed. I scrubed it and added a coat of glossy black. The glass leeks and fish completely freak me out(don't plan to put water in it), but it now rests in my dining room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember when I said I hadn't seen the ship since I was 5? I thought it would fit in the tank, kind of a spin on the shipwreck in a fish tank.

Rescued it from the attic (at least it had a bag draped over it) put it in the tank and thought well this won't work. So onto the mantle it went.

 

Woke up the next day to this lovely sight

 

So into the spare bedroom it went where I plan to clean it up a bit.

 

Fiske tanks don't really come with lids. The lid is something my grandfather(not the wood worker) had made, it doesn't match the tank. My dad has thought of having a new lid made that is not as utilitarian but has never gotten around to it, but it does have an opening to feed fish through... well the masts fit neatly.

 

The plan now is to fix up and clean the ship, place it in the tank then cover the mast with a glass bell jar. Kind of like this, though larger. I would cut the center out to match the lid opening. Inset magnets into the base, so that the cats can't get to it. 

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Has anyone else ever thought of leaning into the trope of a ship in a fish tank?

Edited October 24, 2023 by KitNiec

[jerome]

I have put a small model into a fish tank before.

it works.

had to have a piece of heavy glass cut to go on the top to keep the dust out.