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American Scout C-2 Cargo Ship by Sterling Models

Vfordyce

Vfordyce

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A man approached me after seeing one of my models. He has a Sterling Models American Scout cargo ship and wants me to build it for him. It’s a radio controlled ship from the 60s, and he wants it to be a waterline model for an HO scene set in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t think I can make a waterline model from it because I would have to saw through a lot of bulkheads. I suggested he cut a hole for it to fit in, putty around the hull, and pour in the resin.
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The C-2 Class merchant ship was not a victory ship. It Was designed by the US Maritime Commission prior to World War II. The Victory ship was a slightly enlarged and improved Liberty Ship designed to be propelled by an improved Propulsion plant.

Are you sure that this is a Plank on Bulkhead model? Looking at the box there are what appears to be solid pieces intended to be laminated to form the hull.

If this is so it would be easy to make this into anwaterline model.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
The C-2 Class merchant ship was not a victory ship. It Was designed by the US Maritime Commission prior to World War II. The Victory ship was a slightly enlarged and improved Liberty Ship designed to be propelled by an improved Propulsion plant.

Are you sure that this is a Plank on Bulkhead model? Looking at the box there are what appears to be solid pieces intended to be laminated to form the hull.

If this is so it would be easy to make this into anwaterline model.

Roger
Click to expand...
Corrected the content about the Victory ship. When I read the box, I thought it was a solid hull boat. That balsa hull is at least an inch or two below the waterline. The bulkhead is above that. It’s oddly shaped. You’ll see when I put it together.
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I am familiar with this model, just not the building technique. Looking at the sample of drawings you provided I wonder if it would be possible to eliminate the solid bottom section of the hull. With that gone, design a new stringer for a keel timber at water line level to link all the bulkheads together and start your planking or sheeting from that line up to the bulwark. These vessels had very straight hull lines with no complicated curves except at the stern which can be done with balsa blocks being carved into the right shape. I believe this project could be easily done, but still with a fair bit of work to look proper in a scale railroad set up.
Jim
 
fourseas said:
I am familiar with this model, just not the building technique. Looking at the sample of drawings you provided I wonder if it would be possible to eliminate the solid bottom section of the hull. With that gone, design a new stringer for a keel timber at water line level to link all the bulkheads together and start your planking or sheeting from that line up to the bulwark. These vessels had very straight hull lines with no complicated curves except at the stern which can be done with balsa blocks being carved into the right shape. I believe this project could be easily done, but still with a fair bit of work to look proper in a scale railroad set up.
Jim
Click to expand...
I looked at doing away with the solid bottom section. It’s only about 1/8 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Not consistent. There are curves on both the fore and aft. The bottom false deck wouldn’t be useful. Probably too big. It has slots for the bulkheads to fit into. I would not be able to use them. I’d probably have to cut all the bulkheads to make them shorter. I don’t know for sure yet if I would have to cut them all at the same length.

I’ve also looked at the railroad plans. I think I would have plenty of clearance under the plywood where the resin (water) will be. The bottom of the ship would only protrude about two inches under the plywood. The only problem there would be measuring the hull at the waterline with calipers to make sure it’s a good fit. And what if the ship wants to slip down into the hole? I am a little worried about structural integrity if I make a waterline bottom and don’t build it according to the plans. Decisions decisions.

Thanks for looking in. I’ll weigh all this out before pulling the trigger.
 
I’ve built one of these and did make it a waterline model.
Just build the hull as directed in the instructions.
Though don’t bother to plank too far below the top of the waterline.
When the hull is finished I cut off the hull with a new handsaw (I didn’t own a bandsaw at the time).
I left about a 1/2” of hull below the waterline as a safeguard against the planks breaking while sawing, which they did.
You could also use a Japanese pull saw which would be perfect for this type of sawing.
You have to saw gently and carefully as it is balsa wood.
After that I sanded by hand back to the waterline with course grit sandpaper.
I then glued to the open bottom of the hull a piece of thin plywood.
Seemed to work okay.
I was happy and so was the customer.
Sorry I don’t have photos.
But really it is easily done.
 
Jerome said:
I’ve built one of these and did make it a waterline model.
Just build the hull as directed in the instructions.
Though don’t bother to plank too far below the top of the waterline.
When the hull is finished I cut off the hull with a new handsaw (I didn’t own a bandsaw at the time).
I left about a 1/2” of hull below the waterline as a safeguard against the planks breaking while sawing, which they did.
You could also use a Japanese pull saw which would be perfect for this type of sawing.
You have to saw gently and carefully as it is balsa wood.
After that I sanded by hand back to the waterline with course grit sandpaper.
I then glued to the open bottom of the hull a piece of thin plywood.
Seemed to work okay.
I was happy and so was the customer.
Sorry I don’t have photos.
But really it is easily done.
Click to expand...
Jerome, I actually thought of that. I do, in fact, have a Japanese pull handsaw like that.
 
Thank you all for your inputs. It's great to be a member of such a wonderful, helpful, skillful, and creative community. I'll allow all these thoughts to percolate in my head for a bit before tackling this ship. Also, I had no idea this kind of ship would have such interest. I found a group of model builders in Wisconsin who had encouraged someone in his build. There is also a museum dedicated to this ship. Wow!
 
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Pieces are die-cut. The part numbers have faded away as the wood has aged and the stamps have disappeared due to the wood’s swelling. This will be fun!image.jpg
 
If Someone was paying me build this model; ie, my time is valuable, I would toss the kit hull parts and buy a piece of 1” lumberyard pine. Using the bulkheads in the kit I would draw a set of lines (above the waterline only.). I would carve the hull like the one in the photo below. There is no reason to plank the hull of a model of a steel hulled ship. For a realistic model you are going to spend considerable time trying to hide the planking and if you are unlucky it will appear again when the weather changes. Besides as others have posted, the planking is fragile.

Building this as a POB unnecessary complicates this project.

Roger

IMG_0551.jpeg
 
You definitely have a point, Roger. But I am not sure I have the skills or tools to carve it like you did. That might take me even longer.

Vic
 
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