US Frigate Essex by Dave Wells - Model Shipways - 5:64

[Dave Wells]

This is my first build log, so any advice on what I should know about posting would be well appreciated.

 

This is my third kit build. I'm starting this log well into the construction, so if that is a non-starter just let me kown. (Actually started this kit before, many years ago and never finished. I decided to start from scratch once again.)

 

I'll share some photos I have taken so far along the way.

 

Here is the kit before I started:

 

I choose to modify the kit by carving out the hull to allow adding the gun deck. Here are some photos of that stage:

 

I'll make a separate post on further progress to keep the post shorter.

 

Again, any advice is welcome!

[Dave Wells]

The first time I worked on this kit, I used a color scheme the same as the USS Constitution as I love the look of that ship. Here are some photos of the first attempt:

 

And now the new effort using the same idea of the color scheme from the previous attempt:

 

But then I found out about the book by Portia Takakjian - Anatomy of the Ship - The 32 Gun Frigate Essex. I purchased the book and decided I would rather use this book as a more thorough guide to what the real Essex actually looked like.

 

Has anyone used this book as a guide to building the Essex?

[Dave Wells]

So, below are photos of the new color scheme described in the Takakjian book.Plus some addition work done on the gun and main decks. Getting close to beginning work on the bowsprit, jibboom and flying jibboom. The Model Shipways plans did not include a flying jibboom but I am including one based again on the Takajian book.