2 items: Revell USS Kearsarge on sale for FREE: best glue to fix a snapped plastic bowsprit.

Robert

2. After a year's work finishing a large Revell Cutty Sark, all rigging complete, the jib boom snapped off just above the dolphin striker. What's the best glue to ensure this doesn't happen again? I've taken down all the bowsprit rigging and shudder to think of re-doing it then another disaster happening.

CA (aka 'super glue'), epoxy or even solvent-type cement should work fine, but the key is to drill out and reinforce the join: a section of paper clip, small metal rod or nail, anything that will add strength and keep its rigidity. Without that reinforcement, any glue will just fail again.

Good luck!

Robert,

I have an extra port side hull half if you would like.  Don't give that kit away!  That extra hull half came from a kit that was destroyed in a flood; I kept it around in case someone like you could use it.  It is yours for the asking.

Bill Morrison

warshipguy

Robert,

I have an extra port side hull half if you would like.  Don't give that kit away!  That extra hull half came from a kit that was destroyed in a flood; I kept it around in case someone like you could use it.  It is yours for the asking.

Bill Morrison

 Bill I can't thank you enough. I'm not sure how to communicate with people off site, so as to send you my address. 

As below, putting a brass rod or similr thing in the dolphin striker is what is needed; the glue is then slightly irrevelant.

Ditto the joint where the jibbom passes through the doubling on the bowsprit.  Or, the other oft-busted poit, the very end of the jibbom proper where it narrows down.

That latter sometimes better replaced entire using a bit of brass rod of the correct diameter, and drilled into the end of the jibboom.

As to the hull, it looks, above, a if serendipity serves.

Revell never really made enough of the Kearsarge kits, so they command ridiculous prices for that rarity.

The dirty little secret is that the CSS Atlanta hull is actually a more accurate Kersarge hull (in much the same way the Thermopplye hull is really a Cutty Sark).  But, that may be just my own bias  about Revell's commitment to accuracy in those days.

I'm thinking you mean CSS Alabama. Must have water in your keyboard. And, I'm thinking you mean that the hull is more accurately like Kearsarge.

That CSS ship model is fairly much garbage. Most obvious problem is that the actual ship had a really pretty rake to her masts, which the Kearsarge/ cloned Alabama does not.

But that Kearsarge model you have (half of) is well worth the build.

As far as part two, since you've done the wise thing and struck the rigging, replace the whole spar. I'd think a turned birch dowel would be strong enough. Unlike something like a schooner, she doesn't need a lot of strain on her jibstays, almost slack if you can manage it.

Bill, you are the most helpful, thoughful person on this forum. Thank you for all you have done for me.

  I guess everyone fixes things with a piece of brass wire drilled into both ends of a brokn spar or landing gear. I keep a lot of brass wire of all sizes for doing everything. I use ACC glue after I have drilled both holes & glue one side & check that the wire is the right length & glue the other side over it. Stronger than new.

Robert

 

warshipguy

Robert,

I have an extra port side hull half if you would like.  Don't give that kit away!  That extra hull half came from a kit that was destroyed in a flood; I kept it around in case someone like you could use it.  It is yours for the asking.

Bill Morrison

 Bill I can't thank you enough. I'm not sure how to communicate with people off site, so as to send you my address. 

 

Robert - if you click on Bill's avatar, it will take you to his profile and on the right center is "private message".  Click that and you can send him your address, only he will get it.

 

 

 

 

 

Gene,

Thank you for your kind comment! I appreciate it very much.

Bill

GM,

There are other problems with the Alabama as well.  Gun positions are incorrect, the deck layout is incorrect, the kit uses incorrect cannons, the hull shape is wrong, the rake of the masts is wrong . . .

ScaleDecks has produced a wood deck for this kit that is far more correct.  By fixing everything except for the hull shape the Revell kit can be made into a sort-of reasonable depiction of the ship in a larger scale than 1/96.  But it is doable.

Bill

hurrhurr

Now, I'm wondering what I typed that autocorrect made it into Atlanta . . .

Robert,  you may try to use a hardwood dowel and taper it.  I have a 1/96 Cutty Sark which I put back in the box ready for the completed masts to be glued on and rigging started.  I need to solve this issue as well to complete this model in the future. The jib boom is way too flexible.

I put that on the back burner because if I do rig it, I want a display case first.

You could try brass rod inside and CA, but I don't know how  much tension it will handle on a repaired joint.   I think John Tilley had a post on here about this topic if you look for it.

I built a Revell  1/96th CSS Alabama several years ago as I got it cheap.  It was the first sailing  ship I have built as an adult and it was a lot of fun, however I found out later about the innacuracies.

If  you google "CSS Alabama (revell)  fine scale", I think it is the first photo that comes up.  The large photos are gone because of photobucket.

In any case good luck with the repair. Let us know what you used, and how it worked.