Seaways' Ships in Scale Magazine Lexington practicum...

Lufbery

Member since
December 2002
From: Harrisburg, PA

Posted by Lufbery on Friday, February 11, 2005 1:22 PM

Hi all,

Just a quick update:

Shortly after my last post in this thread, I heard from the kind folks at the NRJ, and ordered my copy of the issue with the Clay's research on the Lexington. The magazine arrived promptly two days later.

I'll be ordering the semi-kit from the Lumberyard tonight, and it should come in in enough time for me to get started with construction. The next step in the practicum, to be published in the next (March/April '05) issue of "Ships in Scale" will cover the Lex's framework.

I think I read that the March/April issue of "Ships in Scale" is due out next week.

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 21, 2005 5:42 PM

In addition to the good reputation of Dr. Feldman, I hear nothing but good about the Lumberyard. The materials included for this practicum include boxwood, ebony and Swiss pearwood. You won't find that selection even in wooden ship kits costing hudreds of dollars.

The Yahoo forum for this practicum already has folks ooh-ing and ah-ing over what they've found in the box.

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Lufbery

Member since
December 2002
From: Harrisburg, PA

Posted by Lufbery on Saturday, January 8, 2005 9:57 PM

Thanks, Ed, for the additional information. I'm probably going to do the build. RIght now, I'm waiting for information on how to get Dr. Feldman's article on the Lexington from the Nautical Research Journal. I sent them an e-mail last Wednesday or so, and I haven't heard back yet.

After that, I'll probably order the semi-kit form the Lumberyard.

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 7, 2005 7:49 PM

jtilley is 100% correct. I followed along with Dr. Feldman's practicum on building a Bermuda sloop. It also ran in Ships in Scale a couple of years ago. I just read it, didn't build it. His approach is user freindly to both experienced modelers and newcomers. I think you will enjoy building the ship and you will learn a lot. I'd join in if it weren't for an already overworked shipyard.

Ed.

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Lufbery

Member since
December 2002
From: Harrisburg, PA

Posted by Lufbery on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 12:43 PM

Mr. Tilley,

Thanks for looking things over and offering your opinion. I'm going to get a copy of Dr. Feldman's article on the Lexington and go from there.

I have to say that I'm very tempted to make this my first wooden ship kit, and my wife seems supportive so far.

Is anyone else on this board interested in the Lexington build?

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

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jtilley

Member since
May 2003
From: Greenville, NC

Posted by jtilley on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 3:54 PM

On the basis of having read the magazine fairly extensively over the past few years, I have a high opinion of Dr. Feldman, his research, and his models. The article about the Lexington that he published in the Nautical Research Journal a couple of months ago was excellent - a sensible, no-nonsense stripping away of all the nonsense that's surrounded that ship over the decades. The description of the model and the practicum in the latest Ships In Scale strikes me as excellent - a fine subject and a good approach for a start in scratchbuilding. That price of $75.00 for the materials is entirely reasonable, and the Lumberyard (though I haven't dealt with it myself) has a fine reputation for selling nice materials.

The leap from styrene to wood isn't as big as lots of people think. A wood model built with quality materials will provide an enormous amount of satisfaction - and the construction methods of the practicum are designed for wood, not styrene. (I don't think the armature of bulkheads and keel plate would work well with plastic, for instance; the bulkheads would be too far apart.

My suggestion: go for it, in the intended format.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

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Lufbery

Member since
December 2002
From: Harrisburg, PA

Seaways' Ships in Scale Magazine Lexington practicum...

Posted by Lufbery on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 3:45 PM

Hi all,

The latest issue of Ships in Scale magazine features an article by Clayton Feldman that is the first in a series of articles serving as a practicum for building a model of the brig, Lexington.

Mr. Feldman's website for the project is here:
http://www.briglex.org/

And there's an associated Yahoo group site too:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexingtonpracticum/

With all that background out of the way, Smile [:)]

I'm seriously thinking about taking part in this guided group build.

On the one hand, I've never built a wooden ship kit before. On the other hand, I really would like to, and this looks like a fairly simple project to start with.

The materials needed for the hull and deck are available as a semi-kit from The Lumberyard for $75. Obviously, one would need to buy additional material to finish the kit, but that initial outlay seems steep, but reasonable.

So, I'm wondering what you more experienced ship kit builders think of the project. Would you recommend it to a novice (one who's pretty handy with tools)?

My other idea was to go ahead and build the ship, following along with the practicum, but I'd use the plans to build it using styrene instead of wood. The plans and the semi-kit are meant to be 1:64 scale, but I could scan them and make them 1:72 scale and use strip styrene.

I realize that idea is kind of odd, but what do you guys think?

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

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