Willie L Bennet by mhaas2 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1/32 scale small boat

[mhaas2]

Don, I used the kit supplied wood.

 

I have finished making the mast, boom and bowsprit. Installed, painted and ready for the ironwork. The directions sugested installing the anchor windless at this time also. So I did, and then added the pawls and a handle so it did not look just like a lump of metal painted black!

 

 

[russ]

So far so good. These boats had a good deal of metal work on them. That is the challenge with this model. Even though the bands etc are usually painted, the metal work is a central feature in these work boats.

 

Russ

[rcmdrvr]

Keep up the great work....I am following along behind you.

[mhaas2]

Metal work, metalwork, and more metal work. I sure went thru a bunch of brass stock ans I screwed up a bunch of times, but after some serious trial and error I have had success. One of the hardest thing for me was drilling holes. Final solution was my Dremal mounted in the drill press attachment and using cut lube for every hole. Still had to be careful not to make so much heat the joint came apart.

 

 

 

main boom details

 

 

main mast details. I have managed to strop 1 block. BTW I ordered replacement blocks from Chuck (Syren Ship Models) they are amazing. Same with his rope. I highly recomend them!!

 

 

 

and the bowsprit detals. I have also done the jib club. Ready to strop a bunch of blocks and then on the pushboat davits!

[russ]

The metal work looks good. Well done.

 

Russ

[mhaas2]

Russ, I spent a year in Pasagoula back in 81-82. I was in the Navy. I imagine Biloxi looks nothing like that now! I heard all of the beautiful old antebellum houses along the coast are gone and were replaced with casino's.

[russ]

Things have changed and some will say more or less depending on their outlook. The antebellum homes were not replaced by casinos. Some are still here, others fell victim to hurricanes. Katrina wiped out a lot of the beach front. Yes, we have casinos down on the east end of town where many of the old seafood factories were located.

 

Russ

[rcmdrvr]

What a coincidence.  I rode submarines when I was in the Navy.  My last assignment (USS Gato) went into overhaul in Pasagoula Mississippi (Ingals shipyard).  We used to use the services (medical, BX, etc.) at Kesler AFB in Biloxi while we went thru the overhaul.   We would drive up the coast to the AFB a couple of times a month.  The area was quite beautiful.  I remember that there tree farms that made everything very green.  That was around 1975.

[russ]

Keesler is a very important part of the local economy. The casinos could leave and that would hurt a lot, but if Keesler closed, that would be the ball game. My later father was in the USAF for 24 years and my mother still has base privileges. She feels very fortunate to have access to the hospital, commissary etc.

 

The coast has grown up quite a bit, but it still has a lot of the same charm it used. Things are more congested and everyone moves faster, but that is the nature of change and progress. It happens everywhere.

 

I look forward to more progress on your model.

 

Russ

[mhaas2]

Completed the rudder and the boom travelers. I am getting better at silver soldering. Practice does improve you.

 

 

and the jib club traveler

 

 

The next big project is the davits and push boat. I have the main davits done. I am ready to install them and then add the braces. Another new skill is flattening the end of the brace so they can ship into the brackets on the davits and then use a small wire to pin them to the bracket. Simulates a bolt and nut.

 

 

and the beginnings of the push boat.

 

[russ]

The metal looks very good so far. You have also made a good start on the push boat. Nice work.

 

Russ

[mhaas2]

davit built! Need to paint and rig. Really surprisingly strong assy.

 

 

 

[rcmdrvr]

You metal work is excellent.  I started working on the framework over the wenches and it became a disaster.  I was using a little torch and I soon had silver solder and stuff all over the place.  I found that when I was working on one joint, other became loose.  It was hugely frustrating.  I will go look for some silver soldering lessons.

 

You model is really looking great.

[mhaas2]

Thanks!!

 

Put some aligator clips near your joint to act as a heat sink. Also you can use different temp solder, so the high trmp won't melt if you use a low temp near ir.

[gerty]

Hi mhass2  -  Sorry to hear about your wife......very nice work with your Willie L. Bennett !   Congrats on the Terrific Model.

Edited September 3, 2014 by gerty

[mhaas2]

Thanks, Gerty! I intend to finish the Charles Morgan as a tribute to Kelly. We visited Mystic about a year before the cancer hit. This model and a couple more I have scheduled to do before finishing the Morgan, I am doing to learn the skills I need to do a great job on it an do her proud!!

[mhaas2]

Push boat is starting to look like a boat;

 

[mhaas2]

Getting there with the push boat

 

 

 

and just because, an  overview of the whole thing!

 

 

 

[rcmdrvr]

It is always nice to stop and admire where we are in the build and all the work it took to get there.  Beautiful.

[mhaas2]

Push Boat is done. Rigging is not yet pulled tight as I am waiting for more cleats to get here. The kit has only 6. Needs about 16.But they give you 2 water barrels when you only need 1.

 

 

 

 

[dgbot]

Your Willie Bennet looks great.

David B

[gerty]

Beautiful model !

[mhaas2]

So, the winder assembly is the next part of the project. I started by cleaning up the metal parts and the gluing them. I added the grease caps with a couple of nail heads and gave it a little black paint. After all the work I have put into this, I have decided to add the details that are semi-hidden by the winder cabin. To that end I made a frame from plasti-strut I beams a piece from a 1/35th armor kit as a pulley.

 

 

You can be pretty creative with the portion of the winder, i.e. engine, fuel tank, as you want. It will only have limited viewing, so impressions are as good as going nuts. I used the engine out of a WWII jeep kit, a fuel tank out of wood, and brackets and braces out of plasti-strut. After I paint all of this I will add a fuel line, some rad hoses and an exhaust stack. Should look real good thru the side hatches on the winder house.

 

 

[russ]

That looks very good. Lots of nice detail adds to realism of the piece. Good work.

 

Russ

[mhaas2]

Made the gear guard out of brass and plastic strip

 

 

Added a fan and motor to the radiator

 

 

Did some more painting and added a fuel line, water pipes, and fuel fill. Ready for rigging line, The leveling platform and final pint touch up. I am pretty happy with this, as I have never done this kind of work before.

 

 

[rcmdrvr]

Very impressive.  You do really beautiful work.  I don't think that I will add all of the hidden detail but I believe you gear guard is a great idea.  It will be seen and adds realism.  I will see if I can duplicate it.

[mhaas2]

Thanks!!

 

The gear guard is shown on the plans, so not my idea, but add it!

[dgbot]

You have done a nice job.  It is a shame the most will never see the final piece as a whole part.

David B

[mhaas2]

That's OK. We all know it's there!

[mhaas2]

I was not happy with my trail board artwork. The instructions suggest coloring the image that they provided and attaching it. I was not happy with the results, so I scanned their image and went to work in Paint.net. After coloring their image and cleaning it up I was much happier.

 

 

Here is the .jpg of the colored page;

 

 

Hers are the port and starboard sides:

 

 

D

 

Don, and anyone else. Feel free to download the images and resize to your model!