Solid Hull 1963 "Rattlesnake" by Model Shipways

Anonymous,

Given that this thread is old, I am curious about how far you have gotten with your model. Can you please give an update?

Thanks!

Bill Morrison

Tuanie

I'm in the process of building the Rattlesnake of a drawing given to me me by a friend in the US many years ago. I am making a solid hull scratch model 

I've been obsessed with the Rattlesnake since first reading about it (and seeing the drawings) in Howard Chapelle's History of American Sailing Ships many, many years ago. It's a beautifully trim little design. Would love to see your model as it develops. 

But you might want to start a new thread. This one's a little...dusty. 

[BTW...I popped on Amazon at random to check that I'd gotten Chapelle's title correct...and happened to notice in the "Description" section that...um...there seemed to be more to the book than I had remembered. Check it out, if you'd like a (small) grin :

https://www.amazon.com/History-American-Sailing-Ships/dp/0517023326]

I'm in the process of building the Rattlesnake of a drawing given to me me by a friend in the US many years ago. I am making a solid hull scratch model 

WIPW offered an excellent suggestion: buy a copy of Campbell's Neophyte Shipmodeler's Jackstay. Model Shipways published this book back in the early sixties for the very purpose you have in mind.

I built the solid-hull Rattlesnake a long, long time ago. My recollection is that, in addition to the plans, the kit came with a large sheet of instructions (printed in black and red ink). It sounds like that sheet's missing from your kit.

The Jackstay book should solve the problem, though. It contains all sorts of sound, basic instructions on working with machine-carved hulls. MS intended that people buying their kits would also buy the book. The author, George Campbell, was one of the best in the business; he also drew the plans for your kit. The book also contains, in a friendly, easy-to-read format, a tremendous amount of information about the history of naval architecture, rigging, and lots of other stuff. A person who memorized every bit of information in that book would be well on the way to becoming a knowledgable ship modeler.

Whoever told you to pick the American kit over the European one gave you good advice. That old solid-hull kit may not be quite up to today's standards, but it's a sound basis for a serious scale model. Most of those continental European companies don't really know what a scale model is.

You do need to bear one thing in mind. If that kit was made in 1963, the cast fittings in it almost certainly are made of lead alloy. In addition to being poisonous (best to keep your kids away from the kit - for several reasons), lead is an unstable substance. Over a period of years it tends to turn to white powder - especially when kept in a confined atmosphere. "Lead disease," however, seems to be unpredictable. (The exact content of the parts probably is a big factor. Model Shipways used an alloy that did contain other metals.) The good news is that if your fittings have survived since 1963 without "flowering," you're in luck; they'll probably last at least as long as you and I do. Buy some good metal primer and give each fitting several coats of it. And when it comes time to think about a display case for the finished model, don't make it out of plexiglass and don't put it in direct sunlight. (Strange, electrical reactions take place inside plexiglas boxes, and sunlight accelerates them.)

Good luck. It's a great hobby.

Ralph beat me in with the post. He's too quick!!

The Rattlesnake Model Expo has now is a plank on bulkhead kit and not the solid hull kit you have, so don't get confused by that. Good hunting to you.

Whoa, did you pick yourself a first project! Not meaning the kit, but the state of the kit.

Model Shipways is a part of Model Expo in Hollywood Florida. Here is their site:

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0101.exe?SKW=TWMF@&FNM=00&UID=!+USID!

I'd e-mail them and explain the situation. Maybe they have an old archive of their plans they could copy and send to you. Or at least help you with the parts you are missing.

About the best solid hull book is supposed to be "The Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay". It's a $12 book and is sold by Model Expo. Look in the book section.

Two other books I really like are "How to Build First Rate Ship Models from Kits" ($16.99) and "Shipmodeling Simplified" ($18.99).

Hope this helps a little. I'm sure someone who knows a lot more about this stuff than I will be along soon and give you some better advice!

Good luck with it.

Taken from the description of this kit on the Model Expo site (modelexpo-online.com)

Four sheets of plans (two by George F. Campbell outlining hull details and rig plan, plus two by Ben Lankford showing plank-on-bulkhead hull construction) and a comprehensive 48 page illustrated instruction book guide you to a memorable model. (Display base & brass pedestals not included.)

I have their Sultana kit (purchased on eBay as well) and it has an excellent instruction book, so I imagine this one is good as well. One of the reasons for getting this kit was that I saw several reviews lauding the quality of the instructions for these kits relative to those from most companies.

I imagine that a call to Model Expo will give you information on purchasing a set of instructions from them.