Fair American 1:48 Model Shipways Retrospective Log and Personal Modeling History

Progress. On my first FA build I avoided some of the harder tasks. I did not, for example, include the fore tack boomkins, the yard tackle or the topsail yard parrels. This time I did and she's a better model for the effort. If anyone is building the FA and happens to see this log, it's really worth the effort to make the parrels. The instructions in the kit work great and you get a nice result. As you can see, I chose not to paint the ribs. I liked the contrast between the black trucks and the natural wood ribs. The trucks were 2mm black seed beads from JoAnns Fabrics. The needle threaders, of course, take the frustration out of getting rigging line through the beads and the blocks.

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The Gavel said:
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If you have this kit and are building it, or you've already built it, you probably looked at the Britannia metal castings with an arched eyebrow. Most of you who posted build logs replaced all of the kit parts with scratch built parts. Thank you! I followed your lead. How about the ship's wheel and stern lantern? I didn't take pictures of what I did not use. Here's what I used:

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Where did you get the wheel kit from to make up the ship wheel, first time I have seen such a small kit for the wheel.
 
About the guns. I can't remember whether my first FA kit had brass or Britannia metal guns. I do remember painting them as well as all of the other kit supplied metal fittings. You already know that the paint gets so thick that it obscures detail. Constructo's Enterprise had brass guns and I wanted to blacken them rather than paint them. Research on the forum led me to Casey's Brass Black and I was able to blacken the guns to my satisfaction AND every thing else that was brass, mainly thinking about brass nails. This FA kit came with Britannia case guns. I had yet to discover Jax pewter blackening solution and I didn't think I could remove enough of the casting marks to use the kit supplied guns. So, I sourced brass guns and better carriages from SSMC. You can see the flash and the seams from the casting in this picture.

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They really look like pop-guns, and I am not as happy with that result. If you look at my effort to scratch build a capstan in relation to the size of the guns I think you'll see the proportions are off. Your will also see the error in the tension of the gun tackle. If the gun is run out and ready to fire, the side tackle would be taught instead of relaxed. I didn't like the way that looked. The side tackle blocks looked jammed together and clunky to me. So, I opted to show then in this incorrect position. I think I used 3mm blocks. Perhaps 2.5 mm would have been better so that they would have been more to scale?

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BTW, if you are currently building this ship, I urge you to put cleats on all 4 sides of the main and fore gallows posts. I found that adding details required more details, like cleats to tie down the boat. If you plan to add details like the ship's boat or additional rigging lines you'll be glad you added the cleats. Also, you'll need/want shroud cleats if you add sheets and clew lines. The FA comes with a rigging plan that assumes shroud cleats.
 
I wonder how you got into this avocation.

For me, it happened like this: It was fall 1987. I was in Washington, D.C. and I saw one of my classmates with a box containing a wooden ship model. I'm sure we chatted about it, but what I remember most is how cool I thought that was. I built plastic models as a kid. I was into airplanes. So, most of my models were military aircraft, mostly from WWII. It also happened that I lived pretty close to D.C. as a kid and had the good fortune to be able to visit the National Air and Space Museum. Those of you who have been there have seen the quality and workmanship of the scale models. Wonderful!!!

Then, in 1987 I was presented with a "grown" man building a wooden ship model. I thought I could too. Coincidentally, I started reading C.S. Forrester's Hornblower books. Oddly, however, I didn't discover Patrick O'Brien for a decade. When I did "discover" O'Brien and the world of Jack Aubrey, it finally clicked for me. I built the Sultana and then my first FA kit. But for the Great Recession and the personal upheaval it caused, I might have built many more ships. It took me nearly 20 years to get started again. Although I'm not glad about the long hiatus from building models, I have benefitted from all of your work and all of you sharing. Thank you, shipmates!
 
My entry into this decidedly unexpected hobby was the intersection of several circumstances. My main hobby (golf) was no longer a physical possibility for me and then the pandemic struck. I don’t “do nothing“ well (that is, I am incapable of just loitering about). I like working with my hands, I like an intellectual challenge, and I don’t mind long-term projects. Forty years ago I remembered wanting to buy a kit for the warship Vasa but couldn’t justify the expense. Well, let’s give that a try…
 
dockattner said:
My entry into this decidedly unexpected hobby was the intersection of several circumstances. My main hobby (golf) was no longer a physical possibility for me and then the pandemic struck. I don’t “do nothing“ well (that is, I am incapable of just loitering about). I like working with my hands, I like an intellectual challenge, and I don’t mind long-term projects. Forty years ago I remembered wanting to buy a kit for the warship Vasa but couldn’t justify the expense. Well, let’s give that a try…
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Thanks for sharing your origin story, Paul! Like you, I don't enjoy doing nothing. Also, like you I really like to make things. My day job (I'm a law professor) has extraordinary benefits, but it is mainly creating things without using my hands. I love having a tangible result ;) especially when it is effortful. After all, Jesus was a carpenter. I took a quick look at your Vasa log. I look forward to enjoying it at my leisure.
 
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What a beautiful build! I love everything about it. Down to the burl veneer on the stand. Wonderful hull Planking. Long ago when I got the kit it did not include the ship's boat or the laser steering wheel. Are these now included in the kit? or extras you found , or in the case of the boat, scratch built? Wonderful painted decoration.
Very professional looking, great skill and execution. You should be very, very pleased and proud of the results!

Pete G.
 
Hello, Pete! Thank you! The wheel and the ship's boat are mini kits. Wheel from Syren Ship Modelling Company. Boat from Model Shipways. I'm just now reading Maarten's log of his 1/30 ZHL Royal Caroline build where he writes about a nice boat kit from Master Korbel. I think CAF has some nice kits too.

Blessings. Peace. Gratitude.
Chuck
 
Thank you for posting your journey. The errors and mistakes we make are always in the eye of the modeler…not so much the eye of the observer! Most errors in well built models are rarely if ever noticed once the model is on display. But know that we all can cite a string of errors on the models we built. You illustrate nicely how we learn about what can be done with our kits from pieces and parts available to us. Great log, wonderful model, and by the way…patience is also my downfall…especially sanding…I rarely have the patience to do the amount of sanding necessary! Awesome stuff! Have fun with the RC build!
 
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