Post 1 - Unboxing
I know, I know. She was launched in 1857 and the Coast Guard wasn't founded until 1915 when Woodrow Wilson combined the US Revenue Cutter Service with the US Life Saving Service, so she is really the USRC Harriet Lane, but that's what Model Shipways named the kit. She initially served in the Revenue Service, was part of the US Navy during the Civil War, and may have fired the first naval shot of the war, in defense of Ft. Sumter. She was captured by the Confederacy, recaptured by the Union, and after the war was sold to a merchant and renamed. She was abandoned at sea in 1881 after her cargo caught fire. She was named after the niece of James Buchanan who served as First Lady to the bachelor president.
This kit is advertised as "The fourth in a series of progressive model tutorials". Not coincidentally it is my fourth wooden ship model build, after finishing the first three kits in the series. The instructions say it is an advanced skills kit. We'll see if I'm up to it. It uses preformed planks for the hull, as did the prior kits, but incorporates card stock parts, as well as significant amounts of PE brass and Britannia metal. I'm building it because the ship appeals to me with its combination of steam and sail power and I think it will teach me new skills. The kit has several firsts for me. It is my first model of a ship, as opposed to a small craft. It is bigger and more complex than my prior builds, and therefore at a smaller scale. It is also my first model of an actual vessel, not just a prototype of a class of boats. That means I will need to pay more attention to historical accuracy. It is my first build with guns and real deck furniture, and rigging with shrouds, multiple masts and yards.
There aren't a lot of build logs of the Harriet Lane on SOS, so I thought I'd start with an extensive unboxing. This will hopefully give interested modelers a sense of what the kit is about.
Obligatory box photo:
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box is that there were a lot more pieces than I am used to!
In addition to the instruction manual and parts list
there are fives sets of plans: a deck plan, rigging plan, optional sail plan, and two plans identifying all the basswood parts.
There are 23 basswood sheets of laser cut parts
The laser cutting seems to be good, for the most part. Some of the thicker sheets are not cut completely through.
There is a bag of dowels and wood strips
Three bags of Britannia cast metal parts
A bag of copper and brass fittings
One sheet of photo-etched brass
Three sheets of card stock parts
Six types of rigging line
and five types of blocks, plus deadeyes.
Observant readers will notice there are only 4 types of blocks in the picture. When I did an inventory of the contents I was missing two 3/16" double blocks, and 12 cast metal cleats. I did have two very small deadeyes that are not in the parts list or plans
I contacted Model Expo Online to request the missing parts (for free). They confirmed the small deadeyes were a mistake - I hope not a portent of things to come!
I'm excited to start on this kit. The subject intrigues me, it will have a lot of challenges for me, and I think it will get me ready to tackle more complex builds. I'm unfortunately (not really unfortunately - I'm actually really looking forward to it) going on vacation in a week, so I may not get much building done before July.
Thanks for checking this out.
I know, I know. She was launched in 1857 and the Coast Guard wasn't founded until 1915 when Woodrow Wilson combined the US Revenue Cutter Service with the US Life Saving Service, so she is really the USRC Harriet Lane, but that's what Model Shipways named the kit. She initially served in the Revenue Service, was part of the US Navy during the Civil War, and may have fired the first naval shot of the war, in defense of Ft. Sumter. She was captured by the Confederacy, recaptured by the Union, and after the war was sold to a merchant and renamed. She was abandoned at sea in 1881 after her cargo caught fire. She was named after the niece of James Buchanan who served as First Lady to the bachelor president.
This kit is advertised as "The fourth in a series of progressive model tutorials". Not coincidentally it is my fourth wooden ship model build, after finishing the first three kits in the series. The instructions say it is an advanced skills kit. We'll see if I'm up to it. It uses preformed planks for the hull, as did the prior kits, but incorporates card stock parts, as well as significant amounts of PE brass and Britannia metal. I'm building it because the ship appeals to me with its combination of steam and sail power and I think it will teach me new skills. The kit has several firsts for me. It is my first model of a ship, as opposed to a small craft. It is bigger and more complex than my prior builds, and therefore at a smaller scale. It is also my first model of an actual vessel, not just a prototype of a class of boats. That means I will need to pay more attention to historical accuracy. It is my first build with guns and real deck furniture, and rigging with shrouds, multiple masts and yards.
There aren't a lot of build logs of the Harriet Lane on SOS, so I thought I'd start with an extensive unboxing. This will hopefully give interested modelers a sense of what the kit is about.
Obligatory box photo:
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box is that there were a lot more pieces than I am used to!
In addition to the instruction manual and parts list
there are fives sets of plans: a deck plan, rigging plan, optional sail plan, and two plans identifying all the basswood parts.
There are 23 basswood sheets of laser cut parts
The laser cutting seems to be good, for the most part. Some of the thicker sheets are not cut completely through.
There is a bag of dowels and wood strips
Three bags of Britannia cast metal parts
A bag of copper and brass fittings
One sheet of photo-etched brass
Three sheets of card stock parts
Six types of rigging line
and five types of blocks, plus deadeyes.
Observant readers will notice there are only 4 types of blocks in the picture. When I did an inventory of the contents I was missing two 3/16" double blocks, and 12 cast metal cleats. I did have two very small deadeyes that are not in the parts list or plans
I contacted Model Expo Online to request the missing parts (for free). They confirmed the small deadeyes were a mistake - I hope not a portent of things to come!
I'm excited to start on this kit. The subject intrigues me, it will have a lot of challenges for me, and I think it will get me ready to tackle more complex builds. I'm unfortunately (not really unfortunately - I'm actually really looking forward to it) going on vacation in a week, so I may not get much building done before July.
Thanks for checking this out.
Also, seriously consider raising the bulwark height. IMHO this is THE major problem with the kit. The bulwarks are too low and every log out there either talks about the problem or shows it in pictures -The problem announces itself very late in the build when the builder tries to ship the guns and finds that the gunports are too low and press on the tops of the gun barrels. Final thought - don't let the counsel of doom in the instructions get to you - if you want to super-duper detail your ship, there's nothing you can't do in scale if you want - the cover of the most recent issue of Ships in Scale is a great example of not being hindered by scale.
