Vintage Steingraeber 'Fair American', 1/60

[Pepite 1/60]

Hi, after having finished the Mamoli Beagle, I got started with the Fair American, a very old Steingraeber kit grabbed on eBay some years ago. From all the kits in my stack, that's the one I thought I would never build. I even 'pirated' half the hull planking for another project (no harm done, there is still enough left or I'll just take something else for it). But I sometimes need some sense of mild madness, just to feel alive. Most modern kits feel far too 'boring' to build, with just following instructions and most everything that fits almost perfectly right out of the box ...
But first things first: this 'Fair American' has nothing to do with that beautiful model from Model Expo. She's a product of pure fictious whishful thinking, just like the Flying Dutchman, Black Pearl, the Albatros and so many others. A not altogether unlikely caricature of a ship.
The kit is wonderfully awful, plans and instructions a joke and, apart from the beech, most of the wood is, let's say only second choice. The guy before me had most frames sawed out, started on the keel when, after having pulled out what little he had left from his former mass of silky, flowing locks, he probably threw his hands up in despair and shelved the mess for the other half of eternity, for his heirs to sort out. They did just that, in a way .


That's it for 'plans and instructions'.

That's where I'm now.
The boat!
Blocks, eyebolts, rudder fittings, ...
Useable plastic deadeyes (if they were'nt too big!
Useless gratings

More to come as progress is made. Right now reinforcing/adjusting bulkheads and decks, then see how I can make something half decent out of that stern part.
The building of this kit is all about armchair dreaming of adventure and romance. There is no fixed solution for anything. Scratch building from a kit without a plan .
I'll try to make an update every month or so. Or not. So, please, don't hold your breath while waiting for it.

 

[Pepite 1/60]

I made some progress this week. The first planking is well underway. I Decided to give these seemingly awfully wide and thin pine planks from the kit the benefit of the doubt. Surprise: given a good soaking of about an hour, they work just fine! In fact even much better (and faster!) than the usual lime batons. We will see what it looks like when finished and sanded, but until now, I hardly see any need for much putty before applying the final plank layer.
The framed hull had some twist, hence that big lump of wood clamped on her. It's to straighten the hull and will be removed when the planking is a bit more advanced. Usually, I use it to grip the keel while building. And, please, excuse the mess on my work table




Killing time while the glue dries...

 

[Pepite 1/60]

Again a busy week and good progres. The first planking layer is complete. We got a few minor bumps and hollows here and there, but nothing to worry about. The second planking, also 1mm thick, will nicely cover it all up. I'm also not unhappy with the stern. That's usually the 'worst' part in these kits; my "Atropos" turned out much less attractive in this region. Next will be the finishing of the vertical inside planking of the bulwarks (reinforcment), then waterways and deck planking. I still hesitate between these (much too!) nice beech planks from the kit or coffee stirrers. And I will finally not use these horrible plywood bulwarks, nor the metal gunports I specially ordered for this build ...









Planning ahead!

 

[Pepite 1/60]

Here last weeks progres. The deck is planking is finished. The beech planks from the kit were much too thick and very hard to cut, so I went with the coffee stirrer option. Would'nt do that on a nice high end kit, tough. The inside bulwarks are planked, waterways installed and we started the second planking of the the hull; 1mm thick 'Mahogany' strips from Occe. Well, 1mm on average, maybe ... And I thought the original Steingraeber planks were rough! Lucky that stuff sands quite easily, so I can still use it. Just need to be a bit prudent choosing my planks. And it's about time to decide wether or where to cut the gunports. The point is, I feel her rather as a heavy merchant brig than as a sleek predator bristling with guns ... So what?


The hull sanded and ready for second planking. No need for filler (in my opinion).





Trying to manage planking with no pointy ends to any of them. Not that easy!

 

[Pepite 1/60]

Just for the fun of it:
How the "Fair American" ought to look like:

and what the kit makers want her to look like (and I dearly hope she doesn't when im done with her!)


Yes, this is the revised version of the kit from the 1980's! Mine is the older one.