Building a Revell 1/96 Kearsarge

robert , try this , see what happens .

1/ join postimage , it's free and easy

2/when a member click choose image , your own folders should appear choose a pic , and click open .

3/left click direct link on the blue image . 

4/go to FSM like you are posting a comment , click onto the small image of a mountain .

5/right click , your photo should appear , click ok , sometimes it's only scrawl dont worry your photo is there , , then click submit your reply at the bottom .

hope this helps mate

 Thanks Bill, just don't criticize my knots, cause there aren't any. I will never know how I can build a rigged ship.

 Did you understand any f what I said about posting pictures. It is truely easy with Google & they have the best editing I have seen. You can adjust your light, & color & then a final thing to really clear & clean a picture up. That is when you go to albums & pick one & then pick a picture & left click the small album picture & get a big one & then right click it & left click  Copy image address. You bring this back to your FSM letter & left click the mountain & when a new list comes up ,right click the top & then left click the Paste & left click OK & the picture comes up on FSM. I sent this to Don as he is building one now too. Iscratch built this 1/24 one a few years ago.

Gene,

I am proud of you for the exceptional job you did!  Well done, sir, well done!

Bill

 I keep loosing long letters so I do this. I don't know how John Tilley did it, but I can't. He was smarter than me. When I find a picture I want to send I right click it & a forum comes up & I pick  copy image address  & come back to FSM & go to the little square mountain picture on the top of your email. The fifth one from the left on the bottom. Like this.....

 Right click source at the top & hit paste on what come up then hit left click OK. The picture come up.  I might have missed something, but it is very easy when you doit a few times, or I wouldn't have so many pictures. I am not smart, just dogged, & keep trying. Hope this helps, just don't ask me of another way as I just don't know. That's as far as my old brain will go. 3 weeks to 87. 

Robert, thanks for your nice remarks. I am just an old man having a lot of enjoyment doing something I have been doing for over 75 years. It is a great hobby for a lifetime, that you can keep doing. As far as posting pictures I am no smarter than you on computers. 

   For Bill too. I have been on a site called Picasa that Google Photos took over. I still use it even tho it is supposed to be shut down. I download my camera to it & then can send directly from it to an email address. That is easy , but I ,ME, can't unload it to an FSM forum. I send them to Google Photos & edit them there , as they have a great place to make your pictures better. So far  it is all free. 

 From Google my picture come up in albums of each download I have made. I have a million of them. I pick out the one I want & left click on any picture in an album. Going to new email so I don't loose this.

  I just took pictures of some info on my model of the Marmon Wasp that I scatch built. I sent them to Don Stauffer & took a few more of the Kearsarge. Here they are.

This is how I drilled out & brass pinned the main 2 spars to the mast. They will not hold with the kit way.

Bill call me on the picture posting or I will call you. I have had excellent luck with Google, & I am dumb on computers. If I can do it anyone can. I will PM you later.  

Steve,

I will try once again to figure out how to post pictures.  Give me a few days.

Bill

warshipguy

Wilbur,

It is very possible to build an accurate CSS Alabama from the Revell kit, but you have to use a few after-market products and conduct a little surgery. I am using the Scaledecks wood deck set for the for the pivot gun rails, I am relocating the gunports, and am using the Cottage Industry set of accurate cannons.  I have also begun cutting scuppers and have altered the masts to provide the distinctive rake.  The hull lines are generally close enough but those openings at the stern must be filled in.  Although these conversions might seem difficult and complex, they really are not so.  There are several videos on Youtube that can provide guidance it you are interested.

Gene,

Your Kearsarge is looking GREAT!

Bill

 

Bill,

I would love to see what you’re doing on the Alabama! I have mine queued up and I have all the bells and whistles including Cottage Industries‘ metal prop replacement. I would really like to see how your going to go about fixing this kit. Are you going to do a WIP?

Steve

Gene,

Your Kearsarge is amazing so far. I have been watching this thread and I wanted to let you know how much I admire your work. I can’t wait until the next installment. 

Steve

I am working on spars now, tieing blocks to the spar. There are 10 or 12 0n th lower spar. The attachment point on the lower spar is too weak to hold. I am working on a way to drill & pin it to the mast like I do on all my ships. I will do that to the 2 top ones too. It will be easy there as I can drill right thru the spar into the mast. It is invisable when done.

Thanks everyone for the nice replys. Mike , my eyes are my best part, I didn't have cateracs out til 85. I did replace all the little eyebolts with brass & copper ones everywhere. I still have a lot of stuff from when I built plank on frame ships 35 years ago.

   The Susquehanna is the only Imai, Monogram kit I want to build later. I have to do the Alabama, Cutty Sark, Spanish Galleon & Harriett Lane.And a few more too. $126 for the kit is great for an Aoshima kit, but I have seen Monogram kits as low as 50 or 60 dollars. Warship guy ruined me for small scale kits when he gave me the Kearsarge.

Wilbur,

It is very possible to build an accurate CSS Alabama from the Revell kit, but you have to use a few after-market products and conduct a little surgery. I am using the Scaledecks wood deck set for the for the pivot gun rails, I am relocating the gunports, and am using the Cottage Industry set of accurate cannons.  I have also begun cutting scuppers and have altered the masts to provide the distinctive rake.  The hull lines are generally close enough but those openings at the stern must be filled in.  Although these conversions might seem difficult and complex, they really are not so.  There are several videos on Youtube that can provide guidance it you are interested.

Gene,

Your Kearsarge is looking GREAT!

Bill

Gene "as age does steal your memory" so does those extra scotches my friend :)

Your build just keeps inspiring me and fueling my wants of a Kearsage kit to do next. Looking forward to the pics of your progress.

Coming along nicely!  I built the Constitution as a boy way back.  I'd like to try a tall ship after watching this build. 

Gene,

You're build is, as you're models that you've shown us here on FineScale, fresh, clean, neat, and well done. Love those 19th century sailer/steamers!

I also have the Kearsarge in my stash but, for some unfathomable reason, I just ordered the 1/150 USS Susquehanna from Hobbylinc. I think it'll be my next ship build with sails.

It's always a pleasure to follow your Works In Progress. Your OOB builds look smashingly good and I can only hope that in 10 years I'll still be able to see the instructions in my stash kits .

Bravo on this build! I'm following with great interest.

P.S. The terminology of the rigging of the bowsprit includes shrouds as well as bobstays, martingale/martingale stays, and jibboom guys. It looks like the Kearsarge used chain for part of the latter two items. I'm just trying to compare a picture I am looking at in John Harland's "Seamanship In The Age Of Sale". I'm not really competent to give nautical information other than in a general sense so don't rely on what I mention. Other members here are much more able to talk nautical terms. 

Wilbur, why don't you put pictures on. everyone enjoys them. Accuracy is not my #1 thing in building. Building a clean pretty model is first. Some times I do try for accuracy, but I have been doing this for 75 years & just enjoy building. I really appreciate anyone that goes for accuracy, but they are special. One of the guys gave me this & he is really special. 

Looking good.

I built the CSS Alabama a few years ago, I understand that model is completely innacurate but I got it cheap.  I love these steam sail ships.  I would love to get one of the Kearsarge. Very nice painting here.

 More pictures with the shrouds on & the bowsprit rigged. Anyone want to correct my terminology, please do, as age does stealmyour memory.

Now I will start with the spars & running rigging. warshipguy, thank you over & over for the Kearsarge. I have been on it a little over a month & I don't believe it is any harder than the smaller Airfix models. It does fit good & if you like it , get one as they are a joy to build. Mine is nearly out of the box, except for the shrouds.

  I am still learning to tie my shoes so I am not a great rigger anymore. I don't know what is wrong with me & knots. I do go with as simple a way to rig as I can. With my shaky right hand it is real fun to try to get thread in a hole. 

 I got to a point where I wantted to get some more pctures of my progress on the Kearsarge. It is still the nicest & best to work on of any ship I have built & that includes wood ships too. Here are some shots of the masts up & the running rigging half glued & half taped, so I can adjust them It does work great. 

 I also had to use my Aifix rigging tools to make my shrouds with ratlines. That is about as big as you can do with them.

 More pics next post.

Bill, it sounds great, you working on the Alabama. Any chance of pictures? I would love to see what you are doing with the Alabama. My Kearsarge is really lookig good with the masts up & the 3 lower shrouds on & the top 2 made & nearly ready to install. I have been taking pictures & will put more on soon.

  These were the hardest shrouds that I have done. The shrouds were not hard but the thread I used was terrible as it got fluffy when you tried to put it in the hole at the bottom. My holes for the standing rigging & being able to adjust everything works great. I just glued every thing tight this afternoon. 

    Dale,, Micro brewed Scotch ? Any Scotch sounds good. Black Sails & Scotch sounds great. Have you watched that? My boys told me to watch it, now thats about all we watch. 

Bill, I got my early xmas gift from you. Thank you for the book and crew members. I agree, RVL should still include that book. I am also a Navy DAV. We need to chat sometime.

Gene, looking forward to more progress pics. I always find your work inspiring. I guess when I come over to visit I will have to bring some kind of a micro-brewed scotch with me :)  Maybe we can watch Blacksails together, sip scotch and drool a bit !    Dale

Gene and Robert,

It was my pleasure.  I have benefitted from the generosity of others in my lifetime, one of which was a woman whose husband had left her, abandoning his stash of unbuilt model kits.  She sold me the lot for very little, including quite a few wood kits.  I strongly believe in passing any favors forward to others who might have a need.  Anyway, I am glad to have helped!

Enjoy your models of the Kearsarge, as I am enjoying making extensive modifications to my CSS Alabama!  I have relocated the gun ports so far,and have cut out the scuppers.  I will redesign the deck and masts next.

Bill

Hi Robert, warshipguy, Bill, is one of the nicest people you will ever find, he served as a Navy  medic in Vietnam, & on 7 Nuclear subs. That is where my Kearsarge came  from.  He sent me one too. I might adopt him. Send us some of your pictures of it. I have learned a lot on building it & I will post pictures pretty quick of the masts up on it & a lot of the standing rigging done. If I can help you let me know. 

  I have had a fit with the premade shrouds & made my own & had some trouble with them too. They are mostly on now  & everything is straight. It looks great, to me. Everything else has gone really great & rigging is always a chore. Good luck with yours, it has been the most enjoyable ship I have built. Thanks again Bill.

Hello Gene, Warshipguy very generously sent me a whole Kearsarge kit, free, after the one I got on eBay had two right hull halves. He is an extremely gracious man, wouldn't even let me send him the cost of postage! I hope one day I can do him a good deed. Your work is utterly amazing and I always enjoy following your builds, if I can do one tenth as good as you I'll be happy. (By the way, I love a good Scotch, the only alcohol I ever drink). Robert

Dale, that is great for everyone to know. You have had some real torture tests with it. Bill, I hope you read this. I hate to use AC where it might ruin a paint job. I glued the decks into the hull with 560. That is my gift from warshipguy. 

  Bill, I have the masts up & standing rigging all up & one end just taped. I was going to use the kit shrouds, but the darn things didn't fit the base for it. I rigged the 2 big shrouds today & have them partly installed. It is Scotch time, so I quit.You can't drive me away from the Kearsarge except at this time.

  Hey, have you all seen Black Sails on Net Flix yet? Watch it, you won't be sorry, it is great in a lot of ways. Boats, boobs & lots of pirates & sails. You aren't dead at 87.

  Gene, I can vouch that it holds.  A lot of my RC planes are prop Warbirds. So the canopies have framing, which was painted. If not then I would do so. So many of them had a painted to painted surface that I did not want to scrap the paint off of or it would show. Even if the manufacturer had glued on the canopy, I would always take it off and re-glue with 560. I have several RC electric ducted fan jets that exceed 150 mph and electric RC boats that have gone airborn at over 100mph, tumbled and the canopy part that was glued with the 560 held.  2 other things that I like about using 560, is the working time and the ease of the water clean up.  My application is alot heavier than what a static display model would require. So my drying time is 24 hrs plus.

I am getting ready to use it for the first time on a larger static display, my 1/32 P-38.

Livit, How do you find it on paint to paint glueing? AC pops off on paint to paint glues if you breath on it. 560 is the best I have ever found. Anytime I glue something that has been painted, it is the only thing to use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahlgren_gun#/media/File:Dahlgren_gun_crew.jpg  GM you got me curious and this one is only a 9"  and this 1/32 https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Civil+War+Dahlgren+Guns&&view=detail&mid=48DA91D1D51D0D4B84E848DA91D1D51D0D4B84E8&FORM=VRDGAR

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Civil+War+Dahlgren+Guns&&view=detail&mid=A838D25C8AB81DDC23C7A838D25C8AB81DDC23C7&rvsmid=48DA91D1D51D0D4B84E848DA91D1D51D0D4B84E8&FORM=VDQVAP I shoot several different BP guns, I am into BP (blackpowder) revolvers, rifles and I have a couple of mini cannons. I would like to have that 1/32 11" replica.

Gene, I have also been using the 560 for many years and as you stated "it holds RC plane canopies on forever" I have never had a canopy on any of my radio controlled boats or planes come off and I been using it since its conception.

Jim, I have used Formula 560 for at least 15 years & it is very strong when it sets. It doesnt take long to set enough to keep working most things.It is the best glue if you are glueing 2 painted surfaces. It will hold where AC breaks loose easy on painted surfaces. The main thing is you don't ruin a paint job if it gets on it. I justuse a wet Q tip or wet rag & wipe the excess off. 

 I like to use it before I quit for the night or for at least an hour to glue things like the boat Davits on the Kearsarge. I always use AC when glueing things like the shroud Tables to the side of an unpainted ship. That will hold. If it will hold a remote airplane canopy on, it is strong. No bad drawbacks on it. I use it where ever I can.