RMS Titanic's Lifeboat by monkeyman - Artesania Latina - Scale 1:35

[monkeyman]

I'm quite new on these forums and well... medium-new in ship building. After several unfinished projects I've decided to create something simple and complete it this time. I'd also want to train several technics, which will be used on my next model — Endeavour's Longboat from AL (it has some flaws, which require improvement).
 
So I bought RMS Titanic's Lifeboat to train these things:

• planks overlaping (clinker);
• timbers imitation (sorry, if I named it wrong — English is not my native, so I may miss some terms);
• hull painting.

But let's start with the package contents:


 
Nothing special here: a bunch of different planks, some threads, some metal stuff and buckets of two different sizes. Colourful manual included.

I have a couple questions before I start building.

1. Among cast things there're 4 life savers, which look pretty bad in metal:


 
How can I replace them and with what?
 
2. This kit contains several equipment items: life savers, set of oars, couple fakes (from threads) and a grappling hook. What else can be added? I saw rations box on some picture of Titanic's lifeboat, but not sure about it.
 
Will gladly accept any advices and corrections in terms. I know them in my native language, but it's a bit hard to traslate specific stuff.

[monkeyman]

Just finished preparing model to planking. Did some research in process and found out, that model authors changed the keel shape. It's identical on both ends (fore and aft) and rounded too much, but should be like this:

 

 

So fixed keel looks like this now:

 

 

I've alse made a replacements for metal life savers from the kit from stopwater (a laying, which plumbers use in their work), thick thread and red electrician's tape (unglued a bit on a picture. sorry). Here's a new version of live saver:

 

Manual suggests planking on next step, but I don't like it. I've put deck details without glueing and looks like they don't match hull skeleton perfectly. If they really don't, it'll be much harder to fix, when planked, so I decided to build deck first, then do planking stuff.

 

According to information from blueprings and photos I've found, it would be wise to add to thge kit the following items:

• mast;
• yard with sail;
• water barrel (maybe even 2 of them);
• ration boxes (2 pcs);
• boat hook.

Original models has a bunch of flaws like deck inclining at fore and aft (should be straight), black painting (should be brown and white), absence of oar locks etc. I don't know, why model authors made all this, but since there're plenty photos of Titanic lifeboats, I'll try to make this model better.

[augie]

Glad to see her underway.  The framing looks good and your new version of the lifesaver is a vast improvement over the metal castings.  Well done!

[monkeyman]

Glad to see her underway.  The framing looks good and your new version of the lifesaver is a vast improvement over the metal castings.  Well done!

 

Thank you, my friend :-)

 

I'm trying my best, however I'm definitely not a professional model builder. Yet. Like I mentioned in the beginning, I'm mostly honing my skills on this model. It's a cheap one and good for experimenting stuff. Someday I might try Confederacy as well - looks sexy :-)

[augie]

You're taking the right approach starting with something that can be completed in a reasonable amount of time while serving as a good foundation for future builds.  

 

If I may ask, where are you from?  Always nice to associate a place with a name.

[monkeyman]

You're taking the right approach starting with something that can be completed in a reasonable amount of time while serving as a good foundation for future builds.

 

Honestly, I've tried to build several models vefore that: Victory, San Juan and Mayflower. Ended with a dilemma: either build by the book, or improve the original model. Since I prefer to improve, I always spend a bunch of time on research, but fail to implement some stuff due to the lack of skills. This makes me impatient and leads to unfinished job. So I choke my pride and started with the basics :-)

 

If I may ask, where are you from?  Always nice to associate a place with a name.

 

I'm Russian, but currently live in Lithuania. It's a small Baltic country, former USSR region.

[augie]

That's good to know.  Welcome to MSW.  Really glad you've started a build log.  It's the best way to make contact, ask questions and treat us all to your progress.

 

Don't be concerned about your language skills.  Your English sounds fine to me ...... and is certainly better than my Russian from college 50 years ago.  Be patient as there is no time limit on builds.  We have some on here running more than a decade.  The subject you've chosen should be very interesting due to it's relatively large scale and clinker planking.

 

Glad to have you aboard !!!

[popeye the sailor]

usually model manufacturers do a generic rendition.   so if your going to bash this one,  using actual pictures would be just the thing

 

I got the 1:400 Academy kit of the Titanic for Christmas......even though the life boat are very small,  it may give me ideas     nice take on the preserver......you did well in getting away from that square shape

[monkeyman]

Don't be concerned about your language skills.  Your English sounds fine to me ...... and is certainly better than my Russian from college 50 years ago.  Be patient as there is no time limit on builds.  We have some on here running more than a decade.  The subject you've chosen should be very interesting due to it's relatively large scale and clinker planking.

 

I don't worry about my English in general for I can speak and understand pretty good. Problem's with terms like "aft" or "yard" - not much into them. But I hope you'll correct me, if I'm wrong.

 

As for decades of logging... well, this sounds a bit crazy. I hope my log will be shorter :-)

However, fine planking my take some time. It sounds easy in the manual, but people say it's much worse in RL.

[mtaylor]

You're off to a great start and Augie gave you some good advice.   I like what you did already with the keel and life rings. 

[mcpwilk]

Good luck with this one. I find clinker planking easier than carvel, so hopefully will you.

 

Happy New Year,

 

Mike

[monkeyman]

You're off to a great start and Augie gave you some good advice.   I like what you did already with the keel and life rings. 

 

Yep, and thank you for all feedback. Really appreciate that, especially I'm not mastered shipbuilding skills yet and need any kind of advice.

 

Good luck with this one. I find clinker planking easier than carvel, so hopefully will you.

 

Under carvel you mean double planking? Like when you first do it raw, fill the holes, sand and then do clean one?

[augie]

With clinker planking, the edges of the planks overlap.  With carvel planking, the edges of the planks meet.  It looks like this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvel_(boat_building)#mediaviewer/File:Clinker-carvel.svg

 

Double planking is as you described.  The hull is planked then filled and sanded and then another complete final layer added over it.

[monkeyman]

I've finally decided to build basic deck first and then start with hull planking. In case somebody wants to buy the same model, I'll provide some explanation about improvements, which can get your build closer to original.

 

First of all, here's a colorized photo of Titanic's lifeboats:

 

 

Deck

 

All four parts of the deck combined on the skeleton:

 

 

First improvement

 

Manual suggests you do the planking first and then use mini-drill to sand down timbers, fore and aft. Since I've decided to build interior first, I did all this sanding right away. Never had a drill tho, used a file and sanding paper.

 

 

Pay attention to fore and aft in the manual (right bottom part of the picture) — they have incline. The original boats didn't have any (see the first pic). So you'd better do more sanding until the whole deck is straight.

 

Second improvement

 

Also, according to manual, you have to glue some magic planks (15) to the ends of the fore and aft decks (14):

 

 

Again, there were no such parts in original boat (see the first pic), so I had to lengthen a bit side parts of the deck, becase they were delibirately made shorter.

 

Minor planking improvement

 

Manual tells you to do the planking on fore and aft bases (13). I've added a black paper between planks to make them look more real (see the last pic in this post). Somehow manuals never tell you, how to imitate cracks between planks.

 

Side walls

 

Next thing is side walls (drawers, I guess):

 

 

Manual never says to put them in the water first, but you should or they'll break when glueing to the deck. I put them in a water and then clamped to the hull for a while to keep rounded shape.

 

Third improvement

 

Side walls also should be planked like fore and aft bases (see the first pic), which is not in the manual again. Right now I'm outta suitable planks, but will do as soon as I get them.

 

Fourth improvement

 

According to manual, side walls have drawers and thus they've made a square sockets for them, in which you have to put covers with small holes:

 

 

However, there weren't any drawers in these places (see the first pic). At least I didn't find any ones on photos or blueprints. Only small holes in planks, but no drawers, so I gonna skip them.

 

Flooring

 

Manual suggests you build the floor right in the hull, layer by layer. I did it another way and built the whole flooring block separately, then simply cut and sanded it.

 

 

I don't say it's the best way, but this will make things less messy. I'm always worried about excessive glue, so the less you put your finger/brush/whatsoever with glue inside the model the better :-)

 

Colors

 

I've also finally decided not to use paint, but instead use woodstain. I have teak and pine woodstains. Titanic's lifeboats were brown-white, so I'm gonna use teak for brown and highly diluted pine as white (very light yellow, actually). Here's a quick peek on how it's gonna look assembled (parts not glued yet):

 

Edited January 7, 2015 by monkeyman

[monkeyman]

With clinker planking, the edges of the planks overlap.  With carvel planking, the edges of the planks meet.  It looks like this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvel_(boat_building)#mediaviewer/File:Clinker-carvel.svg

 

Double planking is as you described.  The hull is planked then filled and sanded and then another complete final layer added over it.

 

Ah, I see now, thanks. I actually thought, that everybody imitates that carvel thingie with double planking. It's seems much easier, than single planking carvel.

[monkeyman]

Can anybody tell me, what's on the side of this boat?

 

 

I saw some fixing hooks on boardside, right behind this thingie. Looks like sail, detached from mast.

[mtaylor]

Are you pointing to the bar between the two davits?  If so, that's a griping bar.  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/9027-puddened-gripes/  See Frankie's post near the bottom of the page.

[monkeyman]

Are you pointing to the bar between the two davits?  If so, that's a griping bar.  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/9027-puddened-gripes/  See Frankie's post near the bottom of the page.

 

I was talking about some thick white bar, attached to the boardsite of the boat (round, conic shape at both ends). It's detachable, as I can guess.

[Stockholm tar]

Monkeyman,

 

Looks an interesting project.

 

I think what you are talking about looks to uniform in shape for a sail and in any case it would seem a rather strange place to stow it. My guess its a fender, to protect the boat's side when alongside the ship or a quay. There would be one on the other side.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Stockholm tar

[Mirabell61]

Monkeyman,

 

it Looks to me as if this is one of the two working / inspection boats, that were (because to be ready for lowering all times for Crew). These boats were free hanging outside the bulwark in their Davits, probably secured somehow, but not so much to free the boat from Swinging when the mothership rolls ,

This "bar" with Fenders in the middle section seems to be added by the bosun on captains command and tied to the Davits and boat lashed to it. post leaving the birth shipyard. the Arrangement does not look professional enough to have been foreseen by the Yard.

 

Nils

[monkeyman]

I think what you are talking about looks to uniform in shape for a sail and in any case it would seem a rather strange place to stow it. My guess its a fender, to protect the boat's side when alongside the ship or a quay. There would be one on the other side.

 

Yep, I thought about fender, but had doubts, because it's detachable (there're a bunch of photos with the same boats without fender). I always thought fenders are firmly fixed to the boardside.

 

it Looks to me as if this is one of the two working / inspection boats, that were (because to be ready for lowering all times for Crew). These boats were free hanging outside the bulwark in their Davits, probably secured somehow, but not so much to free the boat from Swinging when the mothership rolls ,

This "bar" with Fenders in the middle section seems to be added by the bosun on captains command and tied to the Davits and boat lashed to it. post leaving the birth shipyard. the Arrangement does not look professional enough to have been foreseen by the Yard.

 

Wow! Thanx for the detailed story. Actually, there're a lot of pics with Titanic/Olimpic boats, where you can see fenders attached. However, there're even more pictures with the opposite, so indeed this might be just installation.

[monkeyman]

Almost done with boat's basic interior. Made some more improvements as well.

 

Let's start with original photo of lifeboats one more time:

 

 

And here's my boat in its current state:

 

 

 

Banks

 

Model authors were pretty harsh with banks and even forgot about some of them. So next improvement is pretty obvious.

 

Fifth improvement

 

There's nothing about fore and aft banks in the manual. None. Zip. They simply don't exist and only 4 other banks are described. I've added 2 missing banks and some blocks at the center of them. I'm not sure about their purpose, but looks like they were holding poles with a bar at the top of them. A "parking" canvas spar, I guess:

 

 

Sixth improvement

 

This is a very minor improvement for a second aft bank: 2 fixation planks (see the first pic). Guess, they served to hold different stuff like compass on the bank.

 

* * *

 

There's a room for more improvements with banks, because original model lacks fixation frames for mast and canvas spar poles (see the first pic). I'll add them after planking. Need to blacken my brass stripes first.

 

Keel

 

I've also decided to rebuild a keel once more. The original one appeared to be absolutely unsuitable for future planking, even its modified version. Here's a new keel (will sheathe it with veneer sheets later) :

 

 

Woodstain & Varnish

 

In case anybody wonders, which woodstain and varnish was used or looking to buy some, I use Ronseal Quick Drying Woodstain. It's a woodstain and varnish combined. Rich in colors, dries indeed very quick, no need to add varnish at a later stages. Totaly love it.

[popeye the sailor]

very nice .........a very unique life boat!  really neat to see them in a 'school'

[monkeyman]

very nice .........a very unique life boat!  really neat to see them in a 'school'

 

Thanx, mate! This model is indeed not very popular due to its simplicity. But if you put some research and love to it, things get much prettier. I'm loving this boat right now :-)

[popeye the sailor]

I think it's nice......there are a couple variations there.....in the picture,  the first two show an inner bulwark wall.   look at the third and fourth,  and there are no Inner bulwark walls........you can see the ribbing.  your last picture show that you've made openings in the inner walls.......what are they for?

[monkeyman]

I think it's nice......there are a couple variations there.....in the picture,  the first two show an inner bulwark wall.   look at the third and fourth,  and there are no Inner bulwark walls........you can see the ribbing.

 

Boats without bulwark walls (thanx for the term by the way) are smalller ones. I'm building a 30 ft lifeboat, and smaller ones were 25 ft.

 

your last picture show that you've made openings in the inner walls.......what are they for?

 

You mean the square openings on the picture with keel? They were cut by default and I covered it with planks, since there were no such openings on the original boat. Manual calls them "drawers" and I guess they were taken from some generic lifeboat. There's a bunch of other faults in the model, which I'm trying to fix and describe one by one (I call it "improvements").

Edited January 14, 2015 by monkeyman

[monkeyman]

OK, I admit: can't make myself start with planking, keep adding stuff to the interior! Spent a couple evenings on several small things:

 

 

Seventh improvement

 

Kit contains a mast stand, which you have to glue to the flooring, but completely misses mast fixation on the bank. Weird, because other lifeboat or longboat models were pretty much correct in this part.

 

Eighth improvement

 

Also there're 10 planks for leg rests (you know, those horisontal bars, which you put your feet on, when rowing, for better grip). But there're no leg rests themselves. As fas as I understand, they were put, only when rowing, and were detached, when not. So I've created them, glued the fore and aft leg rests and will put the others somewhere on the boat floor, when finished.

 

Ninth improvement

 

According to the manual, you have to make and glue fore and aft drawers (parts 43 and 44):

 

 

But I wasn't able to find anything about them on photos or blueprints. There were, indeed, similar drawers or older lifeboats, but none on Titanic/Olympic ships. Moreover, these boats were like some kind of Lego kit and could be disassembled almost completely. Having any king of drawers in this case would be weird. So instead of drawers I put a couple "shutters" (vertical planks on both sides of fore and aft banks), which you can see on the original picture:

 

 

Blackening

 

In case anybody interests, I use Birchwood Casey's blackening liquids to make brass and aluminium parts in black color.

[augie]

Very clean work there.

[monkeyman]

Very clean work there.

 

Thanx, mate! Trying my best and spend too much time on little things sometimes. This boat will take forever to build :-)

 

I've started with planking at last. Pretty time consuming work, but it will pay off, I'm sure of it.

 

 

I've spent the whole evening yesterday trying to figure out, how to do the clinker built. There's a bunch of single advices and not a single tutorial, which explains important stuff and provides step-by-step instructions on planking. Guess, I'll make one tomorrow. Will do some photos about my planking method. Actually, I've just found several pictures of real life boat building and made mine the same way.

 

Saw online a couple attempts to build Titanic lifeboat and all had problem with planking the hull. So yes, I'll add a simple tutorial in case anybody wants to make this model as well.

Edited January 17, 2015 by monkeyman

[augie]

I'd like to see that.  I'm not sure how you're going to handle any needed sanding.