FAIR AMERICAN 14 GUN Privateer by Model Shipways 1:48 SCALE

[lakedaisy]

Oops! Over bent the thicker wale.


Kiddin'. . I like to bend more than necessary, then soak the plank again. Then mount it (no glue) and dry it with heat. I find it much easier to straighten a bend than to bend it. The pieces come out fitting pretty well after all this.

 

[Corsair]

That looks like a great start !

 

[lakedaisy]

Black strake and 2 planks of wales are finished. Don't know yet what is next. I'm having a hard time keeping an interest in this model.

 

[Namabiiru]

I just remembered some about the stem piece from Namabiiru's build HERE post#6. He made his own figurehead. That's above my skill level.

A notch must be cut into the stem piece. I took the metal figurehead out of the parts bag. It's pretty pathetic compared to the stem it sets on. Looks so tiny next to the stem piece it sit on. I will seach the internet to see if I can find a decent 1:48 scale figurehead. I noticed there isn't a hole cut into the stem piece for the lashing that holds the bowsprit in place.
View attachment 594886

Plans show notch cut into the piece. And it shows the lashing hole which isn't there.
View attachment 594887

Here's an image from the plans showing the figurehead setting in the stem. The supplied figurehead looks nothing like this.
View attachment 594888

Not sure what I'll do. Here's the figurehead laying against the stem.
View attachment 594893

Belive I'll stop here and figure this out. I want to glue the keel pieces to the main keel before attaching the bulkheads. This way I can lay all the pieces flat on the bench when gluing to make sure they are evenly positioned. I may even cut new keel pieces from a better wood. I intend to use different woods for the hull and deck than those supplied with the kit.

Rob,
It took me forever to figure out what to do about the figurehead (maybe why it’s called that ). I had originally cut the notch, then decided to fill it back in, then in the end I cut a whole new stem.

You are right about the white metal figurehead being pretty sketchy. For the record, I didn’t carve my own; I simply modified the heck out of the kit part. It could be argued I went a bit overboard, but I was having fun with it.

 

[Namabiiru]

I'm having a hard time keeping an interest in this model.

You may be suffering from modelexpoitis. It afflicts many people who handle the newer re-boxings of old Model Shipways kits.

 

[lakedaisy]

I've cut and installed the garboard and 1st broad strakes. Looks like there is only broad strake. I have several of the main planking pdf files/books. And google searched the internet. Most don't actually say how to spile these two starkes. I did find a couple references on the internet.

The general idea is to have a greater width at bow and stern and narrower width at the widest bulkhead. Though a couple sources said to taper at the bow/stern and widest midships. I'm going to ignore that one.

After confusing myself enough by reading everything I could find, I finally decided on this... garboard 33% wider at stern. My kit supplies planks (though I'm cutting my own) are 3/16". So the garboard was cut 1/4" wide. Left full width at stern. Trimmed to about 1/2 width at the largest bulkhead. And finally about 2/3 width at bow. This gives a little rise at the bow, but not much. I trimmed the broad strake at 7/16", a little less than the garboard, but more that the regular planks as suggested.

The kits manual states " The garboard strake and first broad strake (the first 2 planks next to the keel) should be given a bit more width at the
ends in order to follow the curve of the sheer and hull, and to compensate for greater drag, or depth, aft.

There's a little more angle between the two planks midships than I wanted. This was likely caused by the tip of the bulkhead not touching the rabbet correctly??? Anyway, I just didn't feel like working that area anymore.