Model Shipways Willie L. Bennett Questions

[FlounderFillet5]

Hello,

 

I am interested in buying the model shipways Willie L. Bennett kit and was just wondering how the instructions are that come with it.  I took a look at them on the website but wasn't sure as to how well it walks you through the build.  This will be my second build and first POB build so I just want to know if this will be a good kit to start POB with.  Any comments, opinions, guidance would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

[russ]

Max:

I have the booklet and the plans. They are very good and you should have no problem. The model build is very like how the actual boat was built. It is built upside down on a set of formers and then the framing is fitted inside the boat.

 

Russ

[Ship Shape]

Max:

I have the booklet and the plans. They are very good and you should have no problem. The model build is very like how the actual boat was built. It is built upside down on a set of formers and then the framing is fitted inside the boat.

 

Russ

I also have this kit w/paint set.  I concur, it is a very well detailed, illustrated set of plans and construction booklet.  Study all of them well and follow each step, only proceed when you understand what is being said.  This builds into a very impressive vessel that plys the waters of the Chesapeake.  There are many versions depending on the region the boats is used, and this kit is exactly as I remember seeing while in Stevensville, MD.

Rick

[FlounderFillet5]

Russ and Rick, thank you both for the replies!  I think I am going to pull the trigger on the willie bennett soon.  I still have a bit of work to do on my Phantom but that just gives me some time to wait for a big sale on the kit.  I am going to build this ship for my mom so I think the size will be a good fit, a pretty large ship model but not so big that there won't be anywhere to put it in her apartment.  I think the 3ft+ models are incredible and can't wait to have a few more builds under my belt so that I feel comfortable spending the money on one of the beautiful brig or frigate kits out there and know I will do the ship justice.

 

Anyways, thanks again guys, I appreciate the responses and guidance and look forward to starting this build (hopefully) soon.

 

Regards, 

[rcmdrvr]

You can review the instructions to the Willie Bennett on the Model Shipways website.  I just started mine last night (Build log to come).

[FlounderFillet5]

Yea, those were the instructions i had looked at, just couldn't tell if they had everything there. That is always exciting to start a new model, i will keep an eye out for your build log. I got a great deal on the willie bennett kit and will be starting my build in the next few months, i will probably try to finish my Phantom first but we will see if it actually works out that way.

[rcmdrvr]

I received my kit about a week ago and began a build log.  Have you made your decision

[SkerryAmp]

Max, seeing your work on the Phantom you should have no problem at all with the willie.  Personally I found the instructions a bit overwhelming, but then again the phantom plans were really for someone with little to no experience and the willie I found a bit more complex.   Which is part of the reason mine stalled quite some time ago and I picked up on other projects.   The willie intimidates me for some reason =)

 

Again though, the work you do - I would expect a mighty fine model!!

 

Good luck!  Can't wait to see it.

[rcmdrvr]

I am now a couple of weeks into the build of my willie (I have started a log).  There is no doubt that the instructions are not a list of steps to glue part A to B and that takes some getting used to.  At first I was very frustrated.  I come from the world of RC model aircraft where we expect instructions to be detailed step-by-step instructions with color pictures.  In the ship building world you have to employ a bit more building imagination and think the process through a bit more.  I have spent a lot of time pouring over the instructions, the "plans" and other build logs, which are hugely helpful.  After a while you get the idea that you are supposed to build something that looks like "this" and after awhile you begin to enjoy the creativity of it all.

[radrick21]

Ditto! 

[grsjax]

Interesting article in the June 1983 NRG Journal on the Willie Bennett kit with a lot of interesting info about the original boat's history including pictures.

[MarcusV]

Is there a good source for the issue of NRG with the Willie Bennett in it?

 

Thanks,

Marcus

[kurtvd19]

Marcus:

The NRG Journals are preserved in their entirety on CD's that we sell - see the NRG Store on the NRG web site.  We have every issue up to the last ten years available on the CD's with a new CD to be done next year at the conclusion of the next issue of the Journal that will include the last ten years.

 

We also sell copies of many of the articles on the NRG web site for $2.50 each as PDF's that one can download and save to your hard drive.  We are getting more articles up but due to a possible switch to the (internal - nobody will notice the switch) operating system of the NRG web site we are holding off putting more articles up to the web site as the webmaster doesn't want or need to do everything 2X.  Once the change is made we will continue to post additional articles.

 

Unfortunately the article you want isn't one of the articles now posted.  It is a good article and I used it when I built the WEB several years ago.  Send me a PM and I will email a copy of the PDF to you.

 

Kurt

[SWOHammer]

Hello All,

Just started the Model Shipways Willie L. Bennett over the weekend (though I've had the kit for years...I finally got the courage to start...and a legal separation so the house is empty right now ).

 

At any rate, I finished assembling the molds to the building board and was about to start working on keel assembly.  When I went to trace the center keelson to determine where to make the cuts for the centerboard, I noticed that the drawings of the keelson do not match the laser-cut parts.  Is it better to make the keelson from scratch to the proper dimensions, use fillers to make up the difference, or adjust the difference by extending the skeg?  You can see the gap in the attached photo.

 

Is this just an issue with my kit, or has others who have built this kit found the same thing? (or am I making mountains out of molehills).  This is my first build and I really want to make it "right".

 

Thanks, Rob

Edited June 1, 2016 by SWOHammer

[SWOHammer]

Has anyone else who is or was building Willie Bennett had this same issue, or is it just me?

[SWOHammer]

Update on the Willie L. Bennett keelson saga.  Model Expo sent me a new set of laser-cut keelson (three-pieces), but they are the EXACT same dimensions as the ones that DON'T match the drawing.

 

For anyone that has or is building Willie Bennett, does your keelson match the drawings exactly, and if not, what did you do to rectify the situation?  Change the sked, or change the keelson?

 

Negative responses requested.

 

Cheers,

Rob

[Jack12477]

Rob, I'm building the Willie also - started it several years back, put it back in box and up on shelf due to frustration over the drawings et al. Decided to pull it back of the shelf this year and begin again. But sorry, I don't recall how I got the keelson built altho I do know it was/is not quite "right" but don't remember any of the details. My build log link is in my signature below if you want to pop over and have a look at mine. I got as far as planking the bottom and installing the sides the first time before I "jumped ship" and went to another couple of models before returning to Willie.

 

Mine had an addendum set of plane changes for the keel as I recall except my patterns are long gone now. Does yours have an insert sheet of changes ? Or was that for the build board?  .

[SWOHammer]

Jack,

The addendum just covers how to use the laser-cut keelson assembly to simplify cutting out the centerboard slot.

 

My parts list is dated 6/12/2009.  I wonder if the drawings changed since then that modified the shape of the keel/skeg interface

[Jack12477]

Rob, I'll check my kit and get back to you.

[Jack12477]

Rob,

 

My kit parts list is dated 10/20/2010 - so more recent than yours. I'm attaching a photo of my keelson template. It's been so long since I built the keel/keelson that I don't remember if there were problems.  If you slide the keelson piece along the template until the curvature of the piece matches the drawing, what happens? Does it become too long? Too short ?????  Try dry fitting the piece that make up the whole keelson on the template and see how they fit together, move them around until the align with the curve of the drawing and see what it looks like.

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful but I tend to forget the problems especially over a long time lapse.

 

[jhearl]

This probably won't be of much help to you because my kit is from 1984. Back then, there were no laser-cut parts - you had to cut the keel out of a 3/8" thick board with a bandsaw or whatever you had. That said, if you don't have the tools to make your own to exactly match the plans, then I'd consider using the laser-cut parts as is. The only area you'd want to watch is whether it affects the height of the molds at the deck. If it makes the mold too high in one spot, it could throw off where the deck line winds up. For the underside, you can just make the skeg a bit deeper in that spot to fit the keel piece. I wouldn't think it would make a lot of visual difference one way or the other.

 

Cheers -

John

[SWOHammer]

Update:

Since the keelson pieces provided with the kit seem to have deviated from the drawing over the years, I decided to improvise and keep the model loyal to the plans.  I took three pieces of the sprue from the laser-cut sheet by cutting strips from the top of where each section of the keelson originated, and glued them together (after measuring for and cutting the middle piece to make room for the centerboard slot).  After drying, I glued that assembly to the bottom of the original keelson so I had an extra tall keelson.  I then marked the line of the original keelson from the drawing, and carved/sanded the assembly to its proper shape.  Now I have a keelson that matches the diagram precisely!!!  Thanks for all of the comments.

 

If anyone else runs into this issue, let me know and I'll give you the down-and-dirty.  I'll update my build-log soon and include some photos.

 

Cheers,

Rob

[charlessp]

I say its time for the manufacturers to step up and own this issue. We first timers are not too swift and need good advice. My first kit was a sailing dory and the laser parts were well off the plan. I kinda guessed at the solution. Perhaps there is an industry wide response, "when in doubt, always follow the plans." Or "always follow the laser cut parts." But there has to be a benchmark. Plans or parts? 

[jhearl]

 Perhaps there is an industry wide response, "when in doubt, always follow the plans." Or "always follow the laser cut parts." But there has to be a benchmark. Plans or parts? 

I wish it was this simple. A while back I was building Bluejacket's Nantucket kit, which includes a lot of etched-brass parts. There was a brass grating meant to go on top of the pilot house and it was fully 1/4" wider than the plans. The choice was to make the pilot house wider to fit the grating or cut the grating down to match the plans. I chose the latter and proceeded with the build. Some time later, I realized that the etched brass railings meant to go around the pilot house were also too long and because they are one piece and have to fit in a specific way, couldn't simply be cut shorter. They were correct for the original grating but, of course, didn't match the plans or the pilot house I'd already built. Fortunately, BJ sent me a new sheet of etched brass parts and I rebuilt the pilot house to match the parts, not the plans. Strangely, they were unconcerned about the discrepancy. I even visited BJ in person last May and brought it up again and they just didn't care at all. To them, it's an older kit and they have no interest in correcting the problem. I guess it happens with all kit manufacturers and there's no single answer that works every time.

 

Cheers -

John

[Jaager]

To get it on the record  and this may come with the kit:

There is a full size guide that is 56 pages long.

WILLIE L BENNETT, CHESAPEAKE BAY SKIPJACK  1899                  
LANKFORD,BEN                                                    
MODEL SHIPWAYS                               
BOGOTA, NJ               
1981

 

I believe "Old Ben" was the kit developer.

 

Other relevant publications:

 

NOTES ON CHESAPEAKE BAY SKIPJACKS  1944                          
CHAPELLE,H I                                                     
CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM               
ST MICHAELS, MD          
1981

 

SKIPJACK SAIL PLANS  
RUBIN,NORMAN N
NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL
1978
24
72-73
19TH 20TH SAIL MASTING RIGGING FISHING   
A
 

THE WILLIE L BENNETT AND NOTES ON OTHER CHESAPEAKE BAY SKIPJACK
LANKFORD,BEN  
NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL
1983
29
61-83
19TH 20TH NA CONSTRUCTION MASTING RIGGING DECK HULL
A

 

SKIPJACK NOTES
HECKLINGER,FRED
NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL
1984
30
29
19TH 20TH SAIL FISHING RIGGING  
A
 

CHESAPEAKE BAY SKIPJACK - A MIDWEST PRODUCTS KIT  
EVANS,ROBERT L
SEAWAY'S SHIPS IN SCALE  
1993
4-3
58-61
KIT 20TH SAIL FISHING
B