The Harvey - 1847 Baltimore Clipper 1:130 Plank on Frame

[Lubber123]

I began this tread under the title "Cheap-O Plank on Frame Brig" hoping that someone might help me identify exactly what this kit might be. Well I figured it out by researching riggings for sloops, which led me to schooners which led me to Baltimore Clippers which led me to the Harvey (The Pride of Baltimore is a different ship) which has the exact deck plan as this model. True to modern day fashion, there is a You Tube Video of someone who experienced exactly my same plight and bought one of these kits and then figured it out. 

Of course by now I have made various blunders trying to do things the way I thought they should be done since I didn't really have much for instructions. I gave her a coat of paint, which hides a lot of sins but the paint scheme is more 1747 instead of 1847 ( I needed a lot of oakum and tallow on the hull). I have to say the quality control on the kit is lax; many of the parts that were suppose to mate don't, A few parts are missing, some parts I don't know what they are for but that became fewer as I pieced together the deck furniture and I can figure out where some of the left over parts go. The sail plan doesn't include the square sails on the main mast and I had to research the lengths of the masts, yards, booms and gaffs which I found. Apparently there are more accessories that I can buy that include brass cannons and belaying pins but I don't see any blocks or deadeyes available.

Since this is a SIB site I won't bore the audience with the rest of the build. I may post a final picture when I finish. But the Harvey is an interesting ship, actually it was a merchant ship outfitted with guns for protection against pirates which were then still numerous. She sailed the California coast around the days of the Gold Rush so she may have had precious cargo. I was defiantly more "intellectually engaged' trying to solve this puzzle then if I had a kit that was well planned and easier to assemble - but I won't end up with a museum piece, which would have been unlikely in any case! Experience is the only way to grow.

 

 

[Chasseur]

Thing of Beauty Lubber!

[Lubber123]

Thanks, she's at the armory now getting fitted for guns. 

[Chasseur]

Awesome Lubber!

[Lubber123]

I'm just about done with the deck details. I included as many upgrades, embellishments, improvements and details (also mistakes) as I dared. I had some materials left over from two other models that I put to use. I early abandoned all hope of historical accuracy and the scale of the model is too small for true accuracy so I decided to make the model "my own": I upgraded the cannon barrels and carriages and lashed them down; I included two swivel guns in the aft; I fashioned cannon balls from pin heads and mounted them into the ball racks; I made belaying pins from brass wire (I also had some left-overs); I made jackstay eyebolts from brass wire and put the rings in the ring boxes; I found some chain for the anchors and I improved the bowsprit construction.

I am most particularly proud of the 21 ft ship's boat that I fashioned out of scrap planking and made a mini planked-up boat out of. This was my first attempt at trying to do this and I planked the boat onto a false frame that I then later chiseled out.

I decided to go with the "ship that's been to sea look" than the "ship that came right out of the ship yard" look so somethings look ragged, worn, rusted and damaged (at least that's my excuse!).

I'm finishing the bowsprit rigging now. I also fashioned some deadeyes from 3/16" dowel (maybe not the right scale) and mounted them on brass wire chain plates and decided on a "double channel" mounting for them because they would be too difficult to rig if I mounted them against the side boards. On to the foremast next!

 

[James w rogers]

I like it a lot, great details, I prefer the been to sea look!😎

[Lubber123]

Thanks Jim! I would have preferred that I knew what ship it was supposed to be before I started building it. However, now that I know I'm seeing so many variations on other models I don't know what is supposed to be accurate.

I'm using the model as a practice exercise. I have had to manufacture many of my own parts which I haven't done before so that's slow going with a lot of trial and error. The model won't look as polished as an accurate scale kit build will but as I progress it is kind of endearing its self in me. 

[MickyK]

Hi Lubber,

The detail on your ship is incredible, I love it!

And, at the end of the day, it's your ship, and if it differs from the original, just say that it went in for a re-fit when you became Captain!

Cheers

Mick

 

 

 

[Lubber123]

Thanks Micky, my sentiments exactly! Along those lines, I spoke with my helmsman and he said he was tired of getting splinters in his hands and a sore back from horsing around that old-fashion tiller, so I upgraded the helm to a more convenient to operate ship's wheel - although it only has five spokes. (I fashioned it out of an old watch gear I had in my box-o-junk and some brass wire for handles). I suppose the original Harvey could have had a tiller and the "desk" in front of it seems consistent with a tiller arrangement but I had to turn the "desk" around and make a wheel box out of it.

 

 

I finished making the lower dead-eyes and chain plates and mounted them in "double channel" fashion. I turned the dead eyes out of 3/16 dowels (its what I have the most of) and gave them some walnut stain for an antiqued look. I also got a start on the foremast which will be in the paint shop soon.

[Lubber123]

Working without  plans or proper procedures is a bit of a chore. I had to manufacture some of my own parts like dead-eyes, braces and mast hoops. I rigged the yardarms onto hoops so that they are adjustable instead of gluing them directly to the masts as I think was the intention - which would have been hard since I don't have plans that tell me where they should be glued. So I'm either making things up as I go along or researching other models to figure out what things should look like. I've used parts left over from some other kits I've built and I borrowed the mast, gaff and boom rigging scheme, so now the model is part 18th Century Long Boat, part 19th Century Baltimore Clipper and part 20th Century fishing schooner - a real "Frankenboat". Actually I now refer to it as my "Plague Ship". The photos don't do justice to the amount of work I put into it. I had to stop at this point after my hand cramped up while trying to belay the lower yardarm. I can't figure out if this yardarm is suppose to have a sail on it or was it just a brace? I have no sail plan for it but found sail plans for all the rest. I also took the liberty of making a boom for the main foresail since I can't believe that it wouldn't have had one but none was included in the plans. I rigged the peaking, up lift and throat halyards as if it were a fishing schooner.

The model looks a little sparse without the jib sails but I think I'll leave them until after I make the mainsail, main top sail and jumbo. This way if I run low on sail cloth I can just show them furled. 

It sure is a lot of work for a model that isn't going to win any prizes for accuracy. If the way to make a first rate model is to not be afraid to tear out inferior work, I should have thrown this thing away after I planked it wrong! I even made a few mistakes that I should have known better about but I don't have any extra materials to redo work with. I have just about enough heavy cord left to make the shrouds on the main mast without having to mix materials. 

I now have an elevated respect for professional model makers. I might as well consider this model a practice run for the next time I make a model. 

 

 

 

[exwafoo]

They are all practise runs for the next one. 😁

Stay safe

Al

[Lubber123]

I've finally finished the main mast and rigging. The small scale of the model forced me to approach the build from the bottom to up; from the front to the back and from the inside to out, so not everything gets put in place the way a real ship would be built. I would normally leave details to the end but something like the ensign was easier to apply while the main mast was off the model. The ensign is a 30 star US flag (circa 1850), something I wanted to add to balance the made-in-China stigma of the kit. Some of the tensioning in the rigging might also have been tighter if I didn't need to build in this sequence.

The next step is the making and mounting of the four jibs, whose dimensions I need to double check against the dimensions of the model. These should go fairly quickly and I think I'll have enough of the supplied sail cloth to get me through.

I find that photographing the model and making these postings forces me to examine my work more closely which helps me find mistakes and do a better job.

 

[JesseLee]

Wow!

[James w rogers]

That looks great! Makes me want to finish my plank on frame now, only been 2 years😂. 

[Lubber123]

After two months of part time work, I put the finishing touches on "The Harvey" today. Finished the jib sails and rigged them and the crowning touch of topping the mast with pendants flying in the wind. Now I have to resist the temptation of tinkering with it more. And of course after all this work I may as well make a case for it. I'll have to find a safe place for her to sail before I can finish a case.

 

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions!

[DSiemens]

Great work.  She came out very nice.  

[Jeff B]

Very nice!

[Lubber123]

One reason I've been hesitant to build scale ship models in the past is that I know that they really should be displayed in a case least they get full of dust or become the victims of unfortunate collisions. For the first model that I ever built, I purchased a somewhat expensive oak fame kit that I finished myself and had glass cut for it at a glazier. This case is a thing of beauty and I was so happy with how my model turned out that I didn't mind the expense of the case kit.

Well my "Harvey" model is a bit of a different situation. Although I am happy with how it came out and I put a significant amount of work into it, it isn't quite a "museum piece" - after all the ship model kit only cost me $15.00 (USD). So, I decided to try to make my own case for it. I am not a skilled woodworker and I don't have very sophisticated power tools aside from a power saw and drill. But I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about how I would build one and I had my professionally built kit to guide me as an example. I also didn't have ready access to high quality furniture grade wood to use for the frame so I decided to try some "home improvement" store 3/4 inch square "hardwood" dowel - which I think is either birch or poplar - not the hardest of woods. I also had to make a somewhat dangerous jig to convert my power saw into a table saw to cut slots in the wood - I still have all my fingers but for legal reasons I won't disclose details of this jig.

So here's my final post about the "Harvey" - all set to sail in it's glass case. The case is 17"L  x 14.5" H x 8"D (outside dimensions).

 

 

[MickyK]

Lovely!

Well done!

Mick

 

[JesseLee]

Very nice!

[Bernard Kelly]

Nice job Lubber