America 1851 by KimW - Revell - 1:56 - PLASTIC - Schooner Yacht

[KimW]

Well now the experience Begins- my first Build Log. This is a little retroactive. I have been working on this for a while now. The goal is to a vintage plastic kit and upgrade it using wood ship model techniques. This will include adding wood and/or parts to replace bad detail and incorrect items.  Use  plastic eye, bolts, “T” cleats, deadeye assemblies and chain plates. A laser cut wood deck will be applied and the top mast and upper gaffs will bs remade with wood. As I am building this to represent the America as she crossed the Atlantic, life boats will be added as well as a binnacle.

 

 Why a vintage kit. The first production runs have the best detail. Ihe plastic is strong, but brittle. You need to to use a strong liquid plastic  cement to ensure a good bond.There is little flash  oh the parts. Sink-holes are  few and far between. The major hull seam should be backed up with epoxy. You really do not want seams springing apart when your project is finished. Old plastic is also very hard and difficult to sand.

 

Why this subject? My research found many comments indicating that rigging was accurate and that this was a good introduction to the hobby. I built Revell’s 1:96 Cutty Sark and USS Constitution when I was a teen an relish the opportunity to do better.

This is the end of installment on. More will follow soon.

Edited April 8 by ccoyle
corrected log title

[Ferrus Manus]

Wow, an America!? This is a kit that, in my experience, has been nearly impossible to find for sale. I want to build this kit sometime in the future, but it isn't on my radar at the moment. I am definitely going to follow this, and I'm sure it will be built with the utmost precision and care. Definitely an interesting subject. Are you going to build the yacht as designed, or as rebuilt by Donald McKay? 

[KimW]

Sorry this build is for the SCHOONER YACHT America built in 1851. I will be starting a build log for my current started project the Sea Witch from Lindbergh. This is a full square rigged ship. Afterwards I will be building the Cutty Sark. Pro bay fiery I finish thee Atlantic and the America. Thank you for lpoking

 

Kim W

[KimW]

Thank you Paul for pointing out my error. This is a repost of my installment 1. It should keep the thread flowing.

This kit was touted as being a good kit for someone just starting out because the rigging was reasonably accurate.

 

The hull halves were glued together with liquid cement and reinforced with epoxy. The hull will be mounted on a stained baseboard with brass pedestals. The keel  a v-cross section ,which posed a problem. With using the normal screws. They are just too large. The baseboard and pedestals came from Bluejacket . The best solution I could come up with was using small diameter all thread brass rod. It will not be possible to remove this at will. This means that the hull be installed permanently after the hull is detailed and painted.

 

The pintles and gudgeons just doidnot line up realistically. This problem has to be dealt with when the hull halves are assembled, as the rudder is trapped between the halves. I found that if you forced the rudder down, they look all right. You will have to cut off a little from the bottom of the rudder to keep the bottom of the rudder flush with  the keel.

 

The deck is in one piece and it is very flimsy, longitudinally and horizontally. The deck provides the only support for the masts and there are not a lot of attachment points for the deck. See the photos. I cut strips of 1/8 in styrene and reinforced the back side of the deck. The will receive laser cut deck sealed withe shellac.  You can see the reinforcement in the photos.

The masts were reinforced with epoxy cemented brass  of as well as the bowsprit;  as. They were mostly hollow. I will prolly extend a brass rod into the keel for both masts. They were painted with technique that simulates wood. The tops Will be white ,along with the gaff booms. The gaffs and top mast will be made of wood. The lower mast sections are painted the bulwark color. The main mat has an odd zig-zag configuration that a straightened as best I could, by using a sleeve and a scratch built goose neck connection for the main sail boom. All of rage raised detail was removed from the masts. It will be replaced with actual mast hoops attached to cloth sails. The top mast bracket, mast bands,  eye holts, and “T” cleats will be fabricated from metal ( chain plates too).

 

I compiled painting the transom eagle as close as I could get to the actual  colors as I could. This decoration still exists and  images are available.

 

I purchased  a set of blocks Historic Ship models. I also picked up two wood . Plank on frame boat kits, of proper size for the lifeboats. Bluejacket provided the Davies and other needed deck furniture.

 

That is all for my   Revised first installment. More to come!