wq3296

Really garym?
 
Assuming 1:48 scale, the difference between 12" and 13", or even 15" is practically indistinguishable. At 1:64 or 1:96 scale - forget about it. Even at 1:48 you can't build consistently to 1/16" tolerance no matter what the research shows. Research is important when it makes sense and will yield information critical to the proper configuration of the model. Beyond that how far do you want to take it?
 
wq3296 

Greetings Phil,
 
I have X-Acto handles that are at least 25 years old and they still hold blades about as well as when new. I think the difference is that X-Acto tools were exclusively made in the USA back then. It is my understanding that some (maybe all) of their stuff is made in China now, which explains the drop off in quality. I will gladly pay more for items made in USA, or Europe, or Japan for that matter, if available. In my opinion, most items made in China are junk and not worth the powder to blow them to hell. I wish suppliers were more forthright about where their products were made. I have been disappointed many times when I receive a product and find the dreaded words "Made in China" on it.
 
wq3296

Greetings Chris,
 
With all due respect, I think the finish process you described is a lot of work and, in my opinion, not worth the effort. Painting departments in a Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace, hobby shops, etc. would have any number of finishes that look exactly like yours which can be applied in one go. I just don't understand why builders go through such machinations to reinvent a finish that paint companies have already perfected for our use. Granted, in other countries availability of materials may not be as it is here in the USA. If that is the case, builders have no other choice than to mix up their own concoctions. Other than that, mixing up special stuff seems to be a waste of time.
 
wq3296 

Greetings Dan,
 
Rough - I would fix the masts, repair the rigging, and call it a day. In my opinion you'd have to consider this one "folk art" short of an extensive rebuild.
 
wq3296

Greetings Gary,
 
I have sheet 2 (11''x 17" size) that shows details of how the spars are to be built for FA and there is a detail specifically showing the jib boom. I am now in the midst of building the spars for FA and I have finished the bowsprit complete with the jib boom as shown on sheet 2. I think the detail you show indicates that the jib boom may be extended for certain conditions and that a second set of guys is required for that scenario. Hope this helps. If you don't have sheet 2, let me know and I can describe exactly what the plan shows.
 
wq3296 

Greetings Cap...
 
It is my understanding that anchor rode was stored on the orlop deck which is the lowest deck, or the first deck, above the bilge. The rode was laid out in large coils on the orlop to dry out. Of course, the water that drained from the manila rode ended up in the bilge.
 
wq3296 

You could try making your own out of blackened wire.  You should be able to get blackened wire from jewelry supply store, but if you use the easy to use copper, you'll probably have to do touch-up paint after, as it's fairly easy to scratch the blackened color off while working with it.

Further to what was said by wq3296, the grating that the cable was coiled on was commonly called the cable tier.
 
Regards,

1957
The United States is an industrial nation, with manufacturing factories still booming after the immense growth in capabilities and newfound prosperity following the Second World War. Every part of the country plays a role, from iron mines in the North Mid West, to the steel mills of Pittsburgh and the automotive plants in Michigan; from the forests of the Northwest to the ever expanding suburbs across the country; from the agricultural 'breadbasket' of the midwest to new, all encompassing 'Super Markets' in every town. And in the heart of the country, facilitating much of the movement of the raw materials that keep the country running and working, are the shipping lanes of the Great Lakes. 
 
Maritime culture is deeply rooted in the towns around the Lakes and the families that live in them. Many families are made up of generations of lake sailors. The Fitzgerald family is one of them, with a rich history of Lake mariners, including several Skippers, at least one of whom has had a lake boat named for him. While Edmund isn't a mariner (instead being president of Northwest Mutual Life insurance company), he is proud of his family's maritime heritage, and so Northwest Mutual Life decides to make an investment - the funding of a Lake freighter, larger than any that has been built up to that time. At 729 feet (222 meters) long and 75 feet (22.9 meters) wide, it will fit juuuuuuust inside the restrictions of the newest lock in the Sault Ste Marie (aka Soo) Locks connecting Lake Superior with Lake Huron (and thereby connecting the iron mines in the north with the industrial powerhouses of Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh in the south).
 
Northwest Mutual signs a contract with Great Lakes Engineering works in Detroit, Michigan to build the freighter, which will be hull no. 301. As the soon-to-be largest boat on the Lakes, however, much of the local public learns of her by a different name. She will be called the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, honoring the president of Northwest Mutual Life, and the maritime heritage of his family.
 
Build Log - Part 1
Kit Review
As the first 'official' post in this log, I want to do a summary of the contents of the kit, as well as some of the immediate challenges I see. 
 
First, an overview shot:
 

 
The parts are pretty straight forward. There is a solid chunk of resin that is the main hull, a couple smaller deckhouses that make up the forward superstructure, a deckhouse that is the aft superstructure, and the funnel.
 
There is a bag of small fiddly bits for bollards, winches, boats, vents, etc., some brass rod to make the masts, and an extensive set of photoetch pieces for things like railings, the hatch removal and replacement crane, and the radars. There is also a decal set.
 
There are some VERY basic instructions, mostly hand written.
 
The kit manufacturer is a small outfit, it seems. There are some significant quality issues with the major pieces, so it seems most of the time on this kit will be fixing and prepping the pieces. 
 
Starting with the hull:

Looks OK in profile, but....
 

One, the hull has a little bit of a banana shape. Not super noticable, so I don't think I'll bother trying to correct it. The larger issue is all the little holes. A close up shot it below:
 

These will all need to be filled and the whole bottom smoothed out. Additionally, there is a ridge where the mold seems to have come out of alignment:
 

Not sure what I'm going to do about that.
 

Looking at the bow, there is some minor cleanup here, but the details of the anchor and portholes seems pretty good.
 
Unfortunately, the port side bulwark is damaged. It should look like this:

 
But, it looks like this:

Haven't figured out how to fix that one yet, either.
 
Moving on to the forward deck house:
 

The top side has a recess to accept the Pilot House above it. There is a recess in the hull to accept this deck, and one aft to accept the aft deck house. So, all these parts eventually have to nest together to form one cohesive unit.
 
The underside is.... interesting. Not sure if/how much of this will need to get cleaned up.

 
The Pilot House is a real mess. I've entertained notions of rebuilding it from scratch using polystyrene, such that the windows are 'see through' and I can create the essence of the interior of the pilot house. Maybe.....

 
The aft deckhouse is pretty messy too, and has some shape to it. Not sure yet if this follows the hull, or if it's just bent out of whack. If it's the latter, another issue I don't even know how to begin to correct.
 

 
The funnel is pretty clean

 
Finally, the bag of 'loose parts'...
 

 
... and the photo etch sheet.

 
As I mentioned, the instructions are lacking in detail. Fortunately, I happened to have needed a lot of information on the Fitz when doing my thesis work, so I was able to procure (from the library at Bowling Green State University in Ohio) copies of some of the original builder's drawings of the boat, as well as a 1 sheet drawing that someone made to aid with constructing a scratch built model, showing the details important for a replica, but not as many details as on the construction drawings I have available to me. 
 

 
So, I have a LOT of information to fill in the gaps in the instructions. The only downside to the construction drawings is they are just that - drawings showing the boat at her delivery in 1958. There weren't a lot of changes between then and 1975, but there were some.
 
Well, that's the kit. Not sure when I'll do anything other than stare at it and scratch my head, but once I do you'll hear about it!

Greetings Phil,
 
I have X-Acto handles that are at least 25 years old and they still hold blades about as well as when new. I think the difference is that X-Acto tools were exclusively made in the USA back then. It is my understanding that some (maybe all) of their stuff is made in China now, which explains the drop off in quality. I will gladly pay more for items made in USA, or Europe, or Japan for that matter, if available. In my opinion, most items made in China are junk and not worth the powder to blow them to hell. I wish suppliers were more forthright about where their products were made. I have been disappointed many times when I receive a product and find the dreaded words "Made in China" on it.
 
wq3296

Greetings jhe...
 
Yes, I have a suggestion - apply a light coat of flat black spay paint and be done with it. I have tried the various blackening products and have generally been disappointed. I expect many of the folks on this forum would frown on spray paint but, for me, it does the job. Keep the coats light to preserve detail.
 
wq3296 

Hi wq;
 
It may be a bit too late to add my thoughts,  but here goes:
 
the braces approach the stay from different sides,  with an angle between them.  The sheaves in a double block are parallel,  so the ropes need to approach with no angle between them.  Blocks on a span can swing to match whatever angle the brace approaches at.
 
All the best,
 
Mark P

Greetings Cap...
 
Nothing at all is wrong with stealers. To me, it looks as though you have generally crafted them properly. Further, your overall planking job is pretty damned good. As you know, stealers insure that planks will not terminate in a point, which would prevent the plank ends from being properly fastened to the framing. I think, you use them as appropriate for the application, and I don't believe there are hard and fast rules for their usage. I can't imagine anyone using stealers unless they were necessary. Nice job.
 
wq3296 

Only early carronades (1780-c.1795) had trunnions. Later models had 'joints' or lugs underneath. There were many changes in their design over the first 20 or so years. The elevating screw was a later development. You should be safe using a quoin.

Bill,
I'd say go with the quoin on the carronades.  They did have locks though as Crisman mentions the difficulty in securing them.    The guns were taken off after the war and before the ship was sunk to "preserve it".   Re-read the battle area.... I vaguely recall something about quoins be set just prior to opening fire.... a vignette type of thing.
 
The cannon trunnions were off-center...  I think (and might be wrong) is that the top of the trunnion was at the centerline of the bore.  What I've seen some do is just make the carriage a wee bit taller rather than trying to re-machine or re-make new cannon. 

All good points and pretty much my philosophy and thoughts on the subject,.... how do even measure and tell the difference between .018 and .021 line???
 
JP

I'm really new to the hobby and just in the first stages or my model (Syren) and I have been getting the specialized tools needed for the hobby.  I have noticed that several people on the site say that they have and use a ropewalk; but what's the point?   The kit I have looks like it has nice "rope" (string) so why would I need a ropewalk?
 
 

Once planking has been done, then an old sofa cushion also works as a soft bed. Just gouge out an appropriate sized hull-shaped section with your hobby knife, and it's good to go.  

Greetings,
 
If I wanted a lifting point for the rudder, I would install an eye bolt(s) vertically in the aft edge of the rudder. This location would minimize drag, and it is much easier to thread a line(s) through an eye bolt than a hole that extends through the rudder. Maybe these holes were used to drain the water from the rudder when the ship was in drydock. I doubt the copper sheathing was watertight since it was fastened along the seams with nails. After a while the space between wood and copper would fill with water so maybe the holes would facilitate drainage. Plus. let's not forget Druxey's point about buoyancy. The holes would also facilitate sinking of the rudder for shipping at sea.
 
wq3296

I completely agree with Gun... Keep it simple.
 
wq3296

Greetings,
 
If I wanted a lifting point for the rudder, I would install an eye bolt(s) vertically in the aft edge of the rudder. This location would minimize drag, and it is much easier to thread a line(s) through an eye bolt than a hole that extends through the rudder. Maybe these holes were used to drain the water from the rudder when the ship was in drydock. I doubt the copper sheathing was watertight since it was fastened along the seams with nails. After a while the space between wood and copper would fill with water so maybe the holes would facilitate drainage. Plus. let's not forget Druxey's point about buoyancy. The holes would also facilitate sinking of the rudder for shipping at sea.
 
wq3296

I've actually never seen anything good posted about the 'Fair a Frame' by anyone who actually got it, so I must have missed the recommendation here!
 
A basic building board is just a flat board (MDF shelf is what I used) and a couple of strips of wood to hold the keel.

True dat, Dan. Were one so inclined, one could estimate the specific density relative to seawater of similar volume to see if it would float or not.

Greetings Folks,
 
The holes in Connie's rudder look like they were made with a fireman's ax, pick ax, you name it. In my opinion, if those holes were there for a purpose they would have been uniform in diameter and probably sleeved. Sometimes, a hole is just a hole. I tend to agree with Jud - maybe they wanted to sample the rudder wood.
 
wq3296

Greetings Folks,
 
The holes in Connie's rudder look like they were made with a fireman's ax, pick ax, you name it. In my opinion, if those holes were there for a purpose they would have been uniform in diameter and probably sleeved. Sometimes, a hole is just a hole. I tend to agree with Jud - maybe they wanted to sample the rudder wood.
 
wq3296