MODEL OF THE WHALING BRIG

KATE CORY

OF WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS

Dimensions of the model, exclusive of case:

Overall length: 34”                        Height: 27”              Width: 13”

Target Date of Model: circa 1860

Hull: built from poplar, waterline lift style to the inside of the planking.  Hull planking is also poplar, as are the deck planks.

Masts and spars are maple, birch and boxwood.

Deck fittings and furniture are boxwood, holly, pearwood, poplar, basswood and maple.

Rigging: Linen, Egyptian Cotton or polyester.

Rigging Fittings: Blocks are white holly or boxwood.  Deadeyes are ebony.  Thimbles, shackles, eye hooks, split rings, etc. are made from brass, copper and aluminum.

Plans: purchased through New Bedford Whaling Museum

Plans for the Whaleboats: Mystic Seaport, Willits Ansel from his book, “The Whaleboat, A study of design, construction and use from 1850 to 1970”

Whalecraft Specifications: from the model builder’s field work measuring and researching actual artifacts.

Specifications: for rigging sizes, methods and fittings were from Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr.  He was also the author of the plans.

Paints: Liquitex artist acrylics or Floquill acrylic colors.

Adhesives: Titebound II wood glue, Elmer’s Glue All, Zap-A-Gap cyanoacrylate and Pli-O-Bond contact cement, Devcon 5 minute Epoxy.

Metals: Copper, Brass and Bronze.

Solder: Stay Brite® silver bearing solder

This is a “Class A”* scratch built model built to the scale of 1:48 (1/4”=1’).

It was begun in October, 2010 and completed in March of 2013.  During those 2-1/2 years, I spent a bit more than three thousand hours on its construction.

 

*According to the guidelines published by Mystic Seaport in their 1980 pamphlet on the subject.