When adding the rear door, make sure the upper section aligns correctly with the lower wall. I overlooked this detail the first time and ended up having to remove both pieces to redo the entire assembly. I also added a door jamb, which gives the door a much more realistic, finished appearance.
You’ll also notice another improvement here: I added a window beside the rear door. It just looked right to me—and as they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” All of these improvements will be included in the new kit.
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THE AWNING​

The awning was another tricky construction for me. The problem was that the instructions never explain what angle the material should be cut to. After many attempts and a lot of trial and error, I finally found that a 35-degree angle worked perfectly. That’s the angle I would recommend to anyone building this beautiful model.

Once the angle was figured out, joining the five pieces was much easier. As long as you stick to the angles shown in the top view of the pilothouse blueprint, everything lines up nicely.
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This is another improvement I decided to make to the kit: real doors. The instructions suggest creating the door by simply scribing lines and adding ink, but I wasn’t satisfied with that approach. Instead, I built a more realistic door using a few framing strips and a piece of 1/16" plywood for the panel. With these additions, the door has far more depth and looks much closer to what you’d find on the actual vessel. I still need to install the threshold, which should sit slightly raised above the deck.
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This next picture highlights a noticeable improvement to the model.

As I studied the details more closely, I realized I wanted to reproduce some of the moulding found around the pilothouse windows and surrounding structures on the real boat.

The full-size vessel features subtle trim that adds character and depth to the pilothouse, and incorporating a similar detail in the model brings it much closer to the authentic appearance of the actual craft.
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THE PILOTHOUSE
You may encounter some difficulty—and probably a fair amount of frustration—if you follow the kit instructions exactly when constructing the pilothouse components that include windows. The affected parts are: two C-2 pieces, two C-4 pieces, one C-6, and one C-1.
The instructions call for assembling the window frames using the supplied 3/32" × 1/4" strip wood. In practice, these strips are so thin and delicate that the frames have almost no structural strength. During assembly, even the slightest movement caused the joints to separate, since there simply isn’t enough material to create a stable frame. After several attempts, I had to stop for the day out of frustration.
The next morning, I decided a new method was needed. My solution was to glue each assembled wall-and-window unit onto an ultra-thin sheet of mahogany veneer I had available at work. This instantly transformed the pieces into strong, rigid components while also giving the pilothouse interior a rich mahogany finish—an unexpected but very attractive improvement.
I shared this modification with Carlos, the General Manager at Model Expo, and we both agreed on a better long-term solution: parts C-2, C-4, C-6, and C-1 should be redesigned as individual laser-cut pieces. This would eliminate the fragile frame-building process entirely and greatly improve both build quality and ease of assembly.
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Hi Chugalone, I also think that after treating the balsa hull with epoxy resin both inside and out, it will be very resistant, even without the use of fiberglass.

Chug! Here you go... My Dad's large smack has a hull length of 36", with bowsprit it's 40", and overall with boom it's 47". Closer to 1:10th scale I'd say.
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Morning Chug! Yessir, but my Dad's was in a monster scale 1/12th scale, with boom it's a shade over 40" if memory serves. I will go over to the garage and measure it to be sure.
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Jumpugly;
Is this the model to which you were referring?

https://www.modelexpo-online.com/products/midwest-muscongus-bay-lobster-smack-1-

This is good news from Model Expo! Now if they'd dig out the old large scale Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack plans...😉

PS: Excellent breakdown of the typical Midwest build Chug!

BRINKMAN:
Hey buddy, I hope you’re enjoying this build, especially since you have one of these models yourself.
Let me know if you’ve made any alterations or improvements to yours—I’d love to hear about them.
Thanks!
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THE PLANKING
After fairing the hull to establish a smooth, continuous load path for the planking, the next step is to fabricate and install the hull panels. I began by cutting the planking sections from the supplied 3/32" sheet stock, ensuring that the wood grain ran vertically.
This orientation increases stiffness across the height of each plank and reduces the chance of cupping once installed. Planking should begin at the bow and progress aft, which helps maintain proper alignment and minimizes cumulative error as each piece is added.

From the stern to the F1 frame, the hull incorporates a distinct chine where the side and bottom planking meet. Because these surfaces butt directly against one another rather than overlapping, the side planks must be notched so they accurately register along the chine line. This results in a flush fit and preserves the designed cross-sectional geometry of the hull.

To improve surface continuity between planks and eliminate low spots, I added small scrap-wood shims anywhere minor gaps appeared during installation. These fillers support the plank edges and help create a smoother exterior surface before final sanding.
After completing the upper planking, I turned my attention to the bottom surfaces.
These were faired carefully and then paneled in the same manner—starting at the bow and cutting each section with the grain orientation indicated in the plans.
To ensure accuracy, I made blueprint copies and used them as templates, gluing the pieces in place with the grain aligned to the first bottom plank. Another very effective method is to lay the sheet stock directly on the hull and trace the outline, which produces an almost perfect fit.
Once the entire hull was planked, I sanded it smooth and applied wood filler where needed to achieve a continuous, even surface. After the final fairing, I sealed the hull inside and out using West System 105 resin and 205 hardener, mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The included pumps make dispensing the correct ratio effortless. I applied three coats on both the interior and exterior, resulting in a remarkably strong and durable hull.
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You've provided a very precise and detailed description of all the construction phases.
I really appreciate this approach because it shows the author's touch and style, any customizations, and is useful for anyone having difficulty and looking for help or guidance, even without having to ask questions.

The use of balsa leaves me a little perplexed. I don't like using this wood for naval purposes (unlike model airplanes).
To reinforce and waterproof the model, will you use epoxy resins (or similar) and will you rely solely on wood stains and paints?

THE RUDDER

At this stage, the modeler must make a material decision. The instructions specify a 3/32" wooden rudder supplied with the kit; however, I opted against this approach. Instead, I used a 0.064" brass sheet available in my workshop, cutting it to the shape indicated in the blueprints using a scroll saw.

For the back piece of the rudder, I employed a section of K&S #8245, 1/4" brass stock. After soldering and trimming all three components to the correct dimensions, I sanded them to a smooth finish and bonded the assembly using PC-11 paste to ensure a secure and durable connection.
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THE FRAMES AND THE DECK.

This stage of the build was relatively straightforward.
After identifying the frame components using the blueprints, I assembled each frame by laying wax cooking paper over the plans—this prevents any unintended adhesion—and then gluing the parts together directly on top of the drawings.

As many of you already know—and have likely done yourselves when building a model—I made several extra copies of the blueprints. These duplicates allowed me to cut out patterns and use them for accurately tracing the shapes of the parts before cutting. This method helps ensure consistency and reduces the chance of error when shaping the components.

To strengthen deck the structure, I added small reinforcing strips of wood in the areas where the deck will later rest on the frames. This simple modification provides a more secure and precise surface for attaching the deck, improving both alignment and overall rigidity.
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THE SHAFT AND KEEL STRIP
For the propeller shaft, Model Expo supplied a Dumas Boat Running Hardware Kit #1269N along with a 1½" Dumas brass propeller. I expect this setup will perform very well during the sea trials.
To install the shaft, I first cut it to the exact length indicated on the blueprints. Once accurately sized, I secured it in place with epoxy, ensuring a rigid and properly aligned installation.

KEEL STRIP
For this step, I used two of the recommended 3/32" × 3/36" strips included in the kit. To achieve a clean bend and avoid cracking the fibers, I soaked the strips inside a 1½" PVC tube—a simple tool I keep in the shop specifically for this task—for several hours.
I’m sure many of you have a thousand different methods for bending wood, but this one has always worked well for me.
The soak allows the wood fibers—both lignin and cellulose—to relax and become much more pliable, making it easy to shape the strips precisely to the required contour. And of course, the Florida sun helps speed up the drying process once the strips are in place.
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At the outset, I anticipated that the construction process would be relatively uncomplicated, given that the hull is assembled from pre-cut balsa components rather than employing conventional planking methods. In practice, however, the build presented a greater degree of complexity than expected.

THE KEEL
The keel consists of five discrete components, and its assembly is largely unambiguous thanks to the precision of the supplied blueprints, which provide clear dimensional references and alignment guidance.
However, this is precisely where my problems began—particularly due to the way the instructions advise the builder to cut and permanently glue the shoe.

The best solution I came up with was to design the shoe-to-keel connection so it would be fully removable, and the method I implemented accomplishes exactly that.
To achieve this, I routed a recess into the keel that matches the precise dimensions of the shoe. For this purpose, I used a piece of hardwood I had lying around the shop.
This modification allows the shoe to be fastened with screws—securely in place during operation, yet easily removed whenever maintenance or adjustments are needed. 😎