Rattlesnake by KenW - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64 - American Privateer

[KenW]

Thanks Augie.  I'm not worried about taking the hull in the car to NJ.  However, I have a well designed contraption for when taking the completed Fail American to the club meeting in this past March.

Cheers.

[KenW]

I’m ready to start planking above the wales, but the order of boxwood I made specified the wrong size.  So I have to wait for a new shipment.

While waiting, I decided to work on some deck furniture – first up is the binnacle.  I didn’t like the dye-cast metal binnacle provided by MS on the Fair American, and the one provided with the Rattlesnake is no better.

So, again, I made my own from scratch.  I tried to model it after the one shown on Plate 1 of the Hann plans.  I added a smoke stack as seen on the Campbell plan because I like its look.  Next I will attempt the pumps.

Edited April 29, 2015 by KenW

[JSGerson]

I found the binnacle a fun little project (comment 179): Yours is beautiful. Is there a reason why your scratch built looks about 50% bigger than the cast metal one supplied by the kit?

[KenW]

Hey Jon.  Thanks for your comment.  My binnacle is fairly close to the size on the Hann plans.  The overall width is 1/8 inch wider, and the height is 3/32" higher.  I guess my captain has a bigger compass. 

Cheers.

[augie]

Looks good!

[KenW]

I scratch build two bulge pumps based on the Hann and Campbell plans.  I made sure that the size of them were as per the plans.  They aren’t balanced too well but when they are placed on the model I will pin them.  Attaching the wires was challenging.  I had to flatten the wire and then either notch the flat part, or drill a hole in the flat part.  But it all worked.

Edited May 2, 2015 by KenW

[augie]

Those pumps had to be tough.  Congrats on all the effort upgrading these cast parts.

[KenW]

Thanks Augie & the 'likes'.  I really don't like the dye cast deck furniture.

[JSGerson]

Are those individual slats in the pump barrel body? If so, how did you assemble them? I think they look a bit more realistic than mine. At the time I was following Mr. Hunt's practicum religiously and not looking at the plans closely very much.

[KenW]

Hey Jon.  Yes, they are individual slats of redheart.  They are glued around a dowel.  Black artist's paper is wrapped around to give it a barrel look.

Cheers.

[JSGerson]

Have you seen Salty Sea Dog's build. He didn't make a pump but he did make a bucket starting at post 335 basically the same way you did. He also made a bunch of other miniatures you might find interesting.

[augie]

Yes, Salty does some amazing work --- and keeps trying to outdo himself.

 

Ken, just something to keep in mind.  Next time you want to make a black paper band, consider flat black heat heat shrink tubing.  Comes in a lot of diameters, slices easily into any length.  I usually give mine a coat of clear flat acrylic after shrinking and it's on for good.

[KenW]

Thanks for the comments.  I wasn't thinking about making those buckets.  They look to be really small. 

Salty Dog did a fantastic job on them.  Kudos to him!

[JSGerson]

I really wasn't suggesting that you make the buckets, but just to look at his technique. You both used the dowel to support the construction.  Then again his other stuff looks real neat too.

[KenW]

I have a question - on my two previous models, there was a black strake immediately above the wales.  Yet the Rattlesnake documentation does not seem to mention one.  Should there be a black strake?  Did all (most) boats at the time have one?

Thanks.

[augie]

I only know from Chuck Passaro's Syren that there was a black strake right above where the wales ended.  Ironically, he pointed out that it was not black.

[KenW]

Thanks Augie. 

[KenW]

I put the question of a Black Strake to Chuck in and email.  His reply:

"I would say yes...But I am not sure how thick it would have been.   Sometimes they were the same thickness as the planking above it and although starting out thicker they gradually become the same width as the plank above the black strake.  But I would probably add one in the traditional sense.

 

Chuck"

[Stuntflyer]

Hi Ken,

 

I just got through reading your log. As you know I saw your model at the last NJ meeting and you are doing a great job on her. I didn't realize how nice looking a ship Rattlesnake was. Some of the parts you made are quite small and they look great too. You must be a very patient guy. Btw; I share your thoughts regarding Jason's wood, really high quality stuff. Anyway, count me in on the watch list.

 

Mike 

Edited May 29, 2015 by Stuntflyer

[KenW]

Thanks Mike.  I see you are building Chuck's Cheerful as well as the Mayflower.  I can't comprehend building two models at once.

Anyway I will follow both.

Cheers.

[KenW]

Its been a long time since I made a post; due to problems and interference by 'life'.

I started to plank the outer upper hull and realized that I first had to deal with the stern area.  The transom and counter must be in place before planking.  I had a lot of plans for the transom, and had to compromise on just about all of them.  And this is before even getting to the fancy carvings.  The result, so far, doesn’t look too bad, although it needs more sanding and some cleaning up.  Also, once the transom is attached to the stern, I have to insure it’s compatible with the counter.  The planking I did so far needs more sanding, as the close up photo makes obvious.  But I think I’m on the right track; with a lot of challenges yet to come.

 

 

[Chuck Seiler]

Ken,

 

What did you use to letter your transom?

[JSGerson]

Your transom is coming along just fine.

 

I had a lot of plans for the transom, and had to compromise on just about all of them.

Welcome to the club. I had all kinds of problems with the back end of the model and had to get creative in order to get the ship's name on her. Yours came very nice. Can I assume you used dry transfer lettering?

 

Your window frames look great also. Can you provide any detail as to how you accomplished it?

[DocBlake]

Very nice build.  How did you do the transom?

 

Dave

[KenW]

Thanks Chuck, Jon and Dave and the 'likes'. 

Jon - The MS kit comes with a transom piece with the window opening cut out.  They also supply the frames.  The fit wasn't the best (the frames were slightly small), but the result was fine.

Chuck - I created the "Rattlesnake" lettering in Paint Shop Pro since I couldn't figure out the curve in Word or PhotoShop.  I just got the letters to be the right size and printed it out and glued the paper to the transom.  I used the same technique on the stern of the Fair American.

 

On the previous post, I forgot to mention that I made a capstan from scratch in the Redheart wood I got from Jason.  A photo is below.

Cheers.

[augie]

Really nice work on the capstan.

[JSGerson]

If I had thought about printing the name like you did, I don't know if I would have done the lettering the way I did (on a plaque). Either way works. Nice job on the capstan.

 

Jon

[KenW]

Thanks Augie and Jon.

Jon:  I think your plaque looks good.  Like I said, I used the printing method on my last build (for both the name and the fancy decoration) so I stuck with it.

Cheers.

[Jason]

That capstan came out really great Ken!

[KenW]

I must be getting old.  I further neglected to mention that the redheart wood that Jason supplied for my capstan was cut by Chuck Passaro based on a plan he had made for the capstan he will eventually use on his Winchelsea.  It is like a capstan kit which I put together.  I don't believe Chuck actually has made a capstan yet, so I guess I was his 'beta' tester for this piece.  I can say that the quality is the same as all of Chuck's kits.