December 2020

We have not held any in person meetings for the better part of this year but it would seem a shame to end 2020 without a post, so below is a model just completed by a club member during the pandemic shutdown.

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  Alan had just completed his interpretation of the Mississippi Plank River Raft (1830-1840) as described in Mark Twain's fictional novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.   It is 1:48 scale (1/4" = 12") complete with raised planks used to build the A-hut or wigwam, raised floor, and firebox.  The raft hovers in mid air, simulating it floating above the riverbed below via a copper wire from behind.   Stored in the hut are the two blankets and extra dry firewood.  One oar is being used by Jim to steer the raft as it drifts downstream, while the other and the spare Jim made are stored to the side of the hut.  A lamp is suspended from a forked branch lashed to the hut so they could be seen at night by other boats.  Huck and Jim are made in silhouette form from blackened copper plate, as an aid to visualizing the scale of the build.

​A shrimp and crayfish trap are set on the river bed (placed on the book cover) with lanyards rising to floats set to both sides of the raft. 

​The river bed is made of sandy grout, embedded with tiny shells, stone, and greenery represent weeds.

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David reports he has been busy creating three prototype kits for Model Expo.  He has provided us with photos of those which are shown above in slideshow presentation.
   1 & 2 - Dory.   3 - Norwegian pram dinghy.   4 & 5 - Muscongus Bay lobster smack.