s/s Mariefred by Francesca - Nordic Class Boats

[Francesca]

I'll try to post my work in progress of my RC Mariefred from Nordic Class Boats. It's a kit declared as Rc running. But it is not so. 

Forgive the mistakes in English, if you prefer, I speak in italian language, let me know...

But important above all is picts and picts ands yours comments and suggestions!

 

Good 

[captainbob]

Looks like a nice boat.  Your English is fine.

 

Bob

[Francesca]

Some time ago I bought the kit of the Nordic Class Boat, produced by Turk Model, steamship Mariefred Sweden in 1/32 scale. So, now, I decided to open this new yard.

Before beginning, I did a lot of research on the web, to keep records as accurate as possible about the history of this vessel.

Here is the report.

 

Built in 1903 on construction Wilialm Linbergs Varfs in Stockholm, Sweden, this boat, with dozens of others, it was freight and passengers between the capital Stockholm and the small but important city of Mariefred Lake Malarem. The distance between Mariefred and Stockholm is 33 miles.

Around the '30s, especially mercantile traffic began to unfold on the road. This boat like many others, was, in those years, sold as scrap.

Thanks to Nordic culture that preserves and restores the old boats,ship Mariefred and many others, were bought back by private groups, preserved and restored.

Steam ship Mariefred today is still under way for sightseeing and is notable for having maintained the original steam engine.

Compared to the ship in 1903, to date, only the first bridge at the stern has been modified with the addition of panels with windows closed on the passenger cabin, also wood lifeboats have been replaced with modern inflatable boats.

 

1903

 

1960

 

2000

 

And now we come to the substance of this kit and to its realization RC.

 

The kit does not correspond at all to the states, not at all prepared for RC. It does not provide removable elements.

It would be decent for the realization static interlocking millimeter, accessories a bit ugly, but acceptable from a neophyte.

Too bad, though, that the instructions do not give ikea illuminations on how to proceed to the plating at the bow and stern, almost impossible with the strips.

I will have to invent something. But it is unacceptable that a kit, which costs several dollars, is so much lacking and bad.

 I founded originals plans  so I can understand more 

Piani1.tiff Piani2.tiff

 

Now I begin the construction. Certainly not as instructed, who say to mount on the keel and paste the sides of the passenger cabin and the first two bridges!

Here are picts:

Keel assembled and glued and others...

 

Ok, I'll see tomorrow 

 

 

[Elijah]

This looks to be interesting!

[yvesvidal]

Beautiful boat and great kit. I will be watching with a lot of interest.

 

Yves

[michael mott]

I will follow along as well.

 

Michael

[robbe33]

I have the similar NCB Bohuslan at home that I haven't started yert. Will be interesting following your build as there are kind of few NCB build logs to find!

[Mirabell61]

Very promising project Francesca,

 

congrats to finding those lovely old construction plans of your post #3. Those plans alone provide all information it takes. 

I love this old steamer and shall certainly watch your progress with the build    Happy keellaying...

 

Nils

[Jim Lad]

Hello Francesca, and welcome to the forum.  Don't worry about your English - we can understand you very easily.

 

John

[Francesca]

Thanks to everybody  for the kind words  .

 

I emptied the ordinates  to lighten the weight an also to allow the passages of cables and linkages.

 

 

Then, after building a structure, I started laying the planking with strips of basswood.

 

 

At this point, I realized that at the stern, in order to glue the strips , I had to stick the side of the stern. In the kit is 1,5 mm. plywood. I kept it in water overnight and, the next day, when I tried to bend it gently (the curve is very strong), it broke immediately!   So I decided to use another material: polystyrene that  bends very easily.

 

 

After I proceeded with the planking.

 

 

 

[Mirabell61]

very nice and tidy work Francesca !

 

for the stern bulwark planking I usualy do vertical planking to have a homogen material throughout the hull, but you had a smart idea 

 

Nils

[Francesca]

very nice and tidy work Francesca !

 

for the stern bulwark planking I usualy do vertical planking to have a homogen material throughout the hull, but you had a smart idea 

 

Nils

Yes, right, Nils, me too sometime I used this method but this time I forgot...

[burnside63]

I hope you enjoy this build as much as I did on mine.

[Francesca]

I hope you enjoy this build as much as I did on mine.

Hi, burnside, I saw your topic and I appreciate your building that was very useful to me. But I think that Nordic Class was powerful in the faithful reproduction so I have to add details that are not in the kit. Besides that I have to invent solutions for RC 

[Francesca]

And here is some small progress.

After giving a coat of epoxy resin inside and outside of the hull, I sanded it all with all the tools at my disposal: electric sander three heads articulated type razor (fits all curves    ), disc sander, files and rasps manuals of all forms, finally sandpaper hand.

 

 

At this point, before proceeding with the construction, I have prepared the arrangement of the elements motorization.

The axis with its tube (which I had already inserted and glued with epoxy resin with glass beads) is Caldercraft Fine Line 4mm. steel M4. On the tube, in the end part inside the hull, after having drilled a hole, I inserted a small brass tube 3 mm. soldered with tin and steel-reinforced liquid (epoxy). All this works to grease the shaft, just push the fat with a syringe into the tube.

The electric motor is reduced to 2.5: 1 is an MFA 950D 385 English that can be powered from 6 to 15 V. I think it will feed with a NiMH battery 7.2 V. The universal joint between the axle and the 'shaft is a universal type with inserts of the righteous diameters.

The rudder servo is Jamara Standard.

 

 

After this important step, I continued building still following my logical succession and never that of the original instructions that are to a static model. For now I glued the high walls of the passenger cabin below  and the sides of the bow and stern.

 

 

After a good sanding, I plastered all remained uneven with epoxy filler and then sanded again.

 

 

Finish for now, after next progress...

[captainbob]

Making an RC boat out of a static boat is always a challenge.  You are doing fine.  Your electronic package looks good. 

 

Bob

[Francesca]

Making an RC boat out of a static boat is always a challenge.  You are doing fine.  Your electronic package looks good. 

 

Bob

Thanks Bob, I hope so because I have already experienced this configuration on other models.

[Jim Lad]

This is really interesting, Francesca, seeing this kit built as RC.  She's coming along well.

 

John

[Francesca]

Now: first coat of gray primer.

 

 

At this point I started to prepare the lower deck. Obviously the kit plan to paste the bridge as it is provided all glued without any opening. But having to build model RC, I created an opening at the cab and I cut the back end to access the rudder horn.

 

 

Positioning the lower deck aft, I realized that a mistake made earlier: the opening of the cabin does not allow access to the servo steering, too small opening. So I moved the servo much further back, near the motor and I had to redo his support. Now everything should be ok.

 

 

Finally, I realized from construction drawings and even watercolor shown on the box, and from the photos of the boat sailing, there are portholes in the side !! Sure! There are more living rooms below deck.

In the kit are not expected.

So, I proceeded to do all the holes for the portholes.

 

Good nigh, for me is deep night, I go sleep 

 

 

 

[Nirvana]

Francesca,

Back in the 70's my father built the SS Mariefred, the funny part he still has the box for it.

However, on the box I can recall it reads "can be converted for RC"

But aside from that, your build is coming out very nice.

Keep it up and work slowly.

[Francesca]

I go ahead quickly because I started this model several months ago and are far ahead in building.

 

At this point I realize the portholes before gluing the bridges because they are below deck. From the photos finded on the web, I saw that the portholes are flangeless, wide side.

From a  aluminon tube  diam. external 6 mm. I cut 24 slices 5mm., filed and clean with limes and fine emery paper, try in their holes. The depth of 5 mm., Greater than the thickness of the plating, I need to handle them better, once inserted under the bridge, the greater thickness is not seen.

 

 

Now is the time to make the glass portholes: I cut 12 pieces of wooden rod with a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the portholes and prepared suitable holes in a piece of foam, surplus of previous work (but would be fine also a piece of wood or of any material not tough and easy to be drilled). This it will serve as the support for the rods of wood which, in turn, will support section to hold vertically the portholes.

I smeared on the well-polished wooden rods Teflon grease (okay, however, any type of fat) and tucked portholes.

 

 

After that, the tip of the portholes I filled with epoxy resin and, subsequently, pulled a little 'back the rods of wood, so that the resin is lowered, forming a slide convex. This will serve me then, during the coating phase, to tuck it in a ball of paper or other material to protect it from paint.

 

 

When the resin has polymerized almost, I extracted with ease rods of wood and ... voila! Portholes with their slides transparent wire side are ready to be inserted and glued in place.

 

 

 

 

[yvesvidal]

Great technique Francesca. Thanks for describing it.

 

Yves

Edited January 28, 2016 by yvesvidal

[donrobinson]

What a great idea. Very well done

[Francesca]

I decided to proceed with the lower deck  previously prepared. I had already arranged on the deck, not only the cabin access , but also the opening for access to the rudder horn. On the deck, near the rudder horn, there is an upside that in the original project must be glued. Obviously I don't glued, because the compartment must be inspected. So I inserted neodymium chinese magnets very powerful but microscopic (6mm dia. X 2 mm. thick) to easily open and close this compartment.

 

 

At this point, check the openings, confirming that everything fits well, I glued the aft deck.

 

 

Ciao for today 

[Francesca]

Now I started to think to the removable upper bridge. In the project, all is glued. It would be easy!

Since all must be adapted to the underlying profiles, slightly curved, I began to realize ribs and spars to make it all fit and strong.

 

 

I built the aft cabin on the lower deck

 

 

Because this bridge must be easily removable, I installed an glued with epoxy resin eight  neodymium magnets.

 

 

After I covered the upper bridge with walnut strips wide 4 mm., 5 cm long. thickness 0.5 mm., alternating with half of each course and glued with quick vynil glue.

 

 

I will stop for now   

 

 

[Altduck]

Very nicely thought out, planned and built.

 

Well done.

 

Richard

[yvesvidal]

I love the implementation with the magnets. Very clever.

 

Yves

[Mirabell61]

Very nice progress Francesca,

 

the decks and cabins are well thought through and built....

 

Nils

[mtaylor]

I somehow missed this build.  Fascinating work, Francesca.

[Francesca]

I go head in my bad english  ,but I'm happy because I can see you understand.

So, now I built the planks of the lower deck with walnut strips (not in the kit). First I painted the inside bulwarks, after finding a pict on the web.

 

 

I covered all lower decks with walnut strips.

 

 

All for today