Mike Dowling

Seems like I'm only updating this log when I have a problem.  At the moment I have several, but I'll focus today on just one.... how to proceed with attaching the deadeyes through the channels and onto the chains.  I've posted this issue under a rigging forum and received a couple helpful replies.  But I thought someone who is actually working on or has completed this AL Bounty kit could give me a tip.  Here's the problem (which the pictures should illustrate).  I followed the directions and put 1.5mm holes into the channels appropriately spaced.  Now I'm putting the strops on the deadeyes (well, trying to) and I find that the 2 strands of stropping (kit calls for 1mm brass wire) will not fit through the 1.5 mm hole.  I'm trying to reach a conclusion as to how to deal with this and the options seemingly are: (1) drill or ream out the holes, (2) cut slots back to the holes so the strops can slide back into the holes, (3) fill the holes and cut (or file) notches on the outer edge of the channels for the stropping (and then cover the notches with a strip of wood, (4) improvise something bizarre like using smaller wire for the stropping, even perhaps thread.  Simplest seems like (1).  That would just be a matter of how big to make the holes.  Would the holes just need to accommodate the two strands of wire (ie 2 mm), or wider so I can form an eye at the end of the strop and still fit it through the holes?  I can't make these holes too wide since there's so many in a row. 
 
Here's some photos to illustrate.  Included one of the instruction books pix.

The tops look great Boyd welcome back m8

It,s been a while since my last post . Work ,life and if i,m honest a bit of a lull in interest has meant progress has been slow .
Excuses over ,i have finally sorted out the chainplates ,after waiting 3 weeks for an out of stock strap i decided to make my own ( thanks Paul ) . After a couple of attempts i used the straps provided , the pic will explain better than i can 
 

 
I,m happy with the result and think i might leave the brass pin heads as they are rather than blacken them as was the plan ?
 

 
Also fitted a few strips ,rails ,not sure of correct name , I tried to make the currly bits without success so made it up as i went along ,they aren,t that noticable anyway ?
 

 
A couple more pics to show anything i forgot to mention  
 

 

 

 
As a change and prep for the next stage i started making the mast platforms ( again not sure of correct name  ). I sanded the ply provided covered it with 0.5 cherry and then scratched everthing else from Dibetou , i think the contrast in these 2 woods works ?
 

 

 

 
I,m beginning to think 3 years for this build was being a bit hopefull but after every low comes a high so maybe progress will improve soon ????

I like the darker version better as well Boyd. And nice job on the steps! 
 
Cheers

Here goes then, next update.
 
The ventilation deck is now on and in the right place !! I had a senior moment when I first glued it on and managed to get it off centre. So, more soaking to get it off before replacing it correctly.
 
I have also included a photo using a 5p piece to show the 'right angle' bends that this kit requires I can tell you my wood bending skills have been tested with these. I have tried several methods but the way it has worked out has been to soak the wood in really hot water but only for about 15 minutes then bend really carefully using a hand held mechanical plank bender - the one with the blade - very, very carefully. If the wood isn't soaked enough it just snaps, if left too long it gets too soft and the 'blade' goes straight through it. I am very glad to say that with this particular wood I only have four more bends like those to do.
 
Plenty more bending to come for hand rails though with 1mm square bass wood and if I can't do it I will have to resort to styrene. Anyway that is in the future.
 
I have also put in one photo of the 'invisible' paddle wheels !! Someone else said it was an awful lot of effort for things that don't show and I am very inclined to agree with them !!
 
 

It's looking great so far. Now as far as the supports go, I would just add a little piece of wood to the bottom of each one or use wood filler or putty to fill the small gap until it touches the deck and then paint them. You could even make the pieces of wood a little wider to look like the base of columns to appear to give them more support. I'm not a perfectionist nor a purist. I'm more about function than form, so with that said, I suggest making the attempt at some sort of correction since the supports actually hold up the deck. I always look at painted models as being able to get away with a multitude of sin versus natural wood models, which shows EVERYTHING! Good luck.
 
Mike

Thanks for the post shihawk, I am glad someone is watching !!! The only problem with varnishing first is gluing bits on afterwards but I have found that fairly thick PVA seems to do the job.
 
Nice of you to be so charitable about the 1mm gap ! The only solution I can find with the warping is to keep everything as flat as possible and give the wood a coat of dope before anything else. That helps and then the planking on top helps a bit more. Once decks are ready to go in place the previous work seems to hold them flat. It's just a shame that Constructo seem to use such cheap ply, their kits cost enough to justify better.
 
As you say definite building weather next week and I have to say I think your Victory is looking brilliant. I wonder if I am brave enough to try that next ? !!!!!!

WATCH PARTS - Search E-Bay for this phrase: "steam punk". A 30g packet containing hundreds of miniscule cogs, gear-wheels, coils and springs cost me less than A$20.00 (including shipping). Watch-spring coils will, I imagine, make excellent mast-bands!!
 

XMAS TREE LIGHTS - Recently, a string of about-to-be-installed Christmas lights caught my eye. These were only a cheap variety, but my immediate thought was: Cut the tips from each globe, drill holes of corresponding size in a strip of wood, insert former Xmas light, and you have a perfectly round porthole with a domed window pane.
 
(Observant viewers may have noticed the complete lack of snow in my part of Australia at Christmas time - it was 38 degrees Celsius today!!)
 

What,s a mm between friends , if you hadn,t mentioned it no one would have known  . Believe me i know the frustration of spending hours on pieces that then don,t fit or just don,t look right ,i think we all do !. I also varnish as i go along mainly through impatience to see the final look but am finding that much of it will need another coat at the end when cleaned and dusted . Stair case looks impressive and i really like the finished deck .I won,t advise on the warped piece others will  know more ,there is bound to be a solution ? Bad weather next week so you will have plenty of time to find it . 

The rest of the photos for now

Well folks,
 
A fair bit of progress since last I updated this.
 
The basics of the second deck are now done and fitted. Those pesky little columns took ages !!! There are supposed to be 20 identical columns (!!!!) but,
 
I am simply not that clever. I did the best I could ! My first efforts after gluing them on the underside of the second deck proved to be 1mm too wide on each side which meant the deck wouldn't sit down properly !!!
 
So, I took them all off again after much soaking. About half of them broke so had to be remade. My second attempt just fitted width wise but some were then 1mm too short. Well, sorry to all you perfectionists out there but 1mm too short they are going to be !! I don't think it shows too much.
 
The stairs were good fun too as they had to be built up with individual wood pieces. Nothing like the Amati kit where they are pretty much pre made. Effectively they were scratch built off the plans and to my amazement, they fitted !!
 
The observant amongst you will notice that I am having to varnish as I go along as there is simply no way this could be done with all the twiddly bits that have to be done later.
 
I also thought for anyone wanting to try a Constructo kit that I would include a couple of pictures of the lovely pre warp problems that I have had with every flat piece so far. It makes planking them are real pleasure (!!!!) and they still don't want to lay flat after that.
 
Anyway - judge for yourselves !
 
 

So far the lower deck now has its superstructure buildings on and the paddlewheels in place. A few windows and doors have been added and some sanding and varnishing done although it still needs some more.
 
A word of warning to anyone thinking of getting a Constructo kit. The plywood is very soft and poor quality. Not only is it warped in the box, as soon as you try to plank it, it bends more. If you want to bend it it tries to bend in the opposite direction from that which you want. The measurements seem to be quite critical on this model which is not aided by wobbly wood. I have also discovered that the measurements of sections marked out to be cut do not correspond with the plan sheets - oh joy !!
 
You may be surprised to know that I love this model building really !

Well folks, after a bit more sanding and a couple of coats of varnish the hull doesn't look too bad. I have now attached it to the lower deck, started to do some of the first deck woodwork and put the finishing strip around the edge. That took a fair bit of soaking and bending but it's on !!!
 
I wish the ply sections were laser cut but they are not. They have to be cut our from a marked sheet which is really tricky and then sand everything down - takes ages !!
 
 

Well the second planking proved to be every bit as difficult as the first go. The stern on this beastie have been really hard to do, more so I think than an orthodox boat. I am still not sure why except that the stern is more bendy than it looks and the wood didn't want to play. At least I got it covered. It has been sanded and sealed with lacquer but I am hoping that a bit more sanding and a couple of coats of varnish will make it look better.
 
I am not very happy with it but my consolation has to be that the hull on a paddle steamer doesn't show very much.
 
 
 
 

I finally got the hull covered. What a saga ! I thought this was going to be fairly easy but how wrong could I be. It has taken ages and, for all you sadists out there I had to cheat at the stern. I simply couldn't get the 2x5mm wood to bend round it so I had to resort to balsa packing and yes, ashamed as I am to admit it, filler !! I just could not see another way round it.
 
So here are some pictures for you to laugh at !! I still have to trim and sand it all down before the second veneer planking which I sincerely hope will be easier than the first lot !
 
Whilst waiting for planks etc to dry I did at least get the first deck planked !
 
 
 

Finally got round to finishing the main parts of the deck furnishings . The poop deck skylight took a fair bit of time ,most of it spent figuring out the best way to make it . I still think if i was building this again i could do it in a quarter of the time ,when i knew what i was doing  . I finished up doing the top like gratings and the side windows in a similiar way to the gallery windows,piece by piece . i also messed about with the flag lockers and finaly settled on a trimed version of the grates provided . I keep forgetting that the parts  supplied can sometimes be used !! i used Clearfix for the window pains ,with care it works . No flags in the lockers yet . 
 
 
 

 
 Now i can move on to the channels ,and again thought on making my own but i was worried about joining 2 strips of 7 mm in case when i put pressure on from rigging i could have problems ,so i decided to use the ply parts but covered the edges with darker strips . A coat of varnish shows they blend in ok color wise , i think ?and saves a lot of work !!
 

 
I try to look in front of myself all the time so am now wondering if the fact that i messed about with the gunports so much will it affect the run of the chainplates , I will have to spend a bit of time lining them up before i commit to anything . Can,t decide yet how to make up the chainplates ,i did see a method using thread for the last link to keep everything nice and tight ,but will see how the soldering goes ?

I think that wood surround looks brilliant, well done sir !

Only just found your new log Dom !! Looks like you are doing rather well. I will be interested to follow it and to know your opinion about Constructo kits, I think you may know what mine are.
 
Anyway, I will be keeping my eye on you in case you need my help !!!!!!!

I think that wood surround looks brilliant, well done sir !

Hey Mike,  things are looking great.  I know how much you're enjoying it. 

So far the lower deck now has its superstructure buildings on and the paddlewheels in place. A few windows and doors have been added and some sanding and varnishing done although it still needs some more.
 
A word of warning to anyone thinking of getting a Constructo kit. The plywood is very soft and poor quality. Not only is it warped in the box, as soon as you try to plank it, it bends more. If you want to bend it it tries to bend in the opposite direction from that which you want. The measurements seem to be quite critical on this model which is not aided by wobbly wood. I have also discovered that the measurements of sections marked out to be cut do not correspond with the plan sheets - oh joy !!
 
You may be surprised to know that I love this model building really !

Yep, I can tell it's a thrill a minute, especially with Constructo. But they do finish off to be a beautiful model. It's looking great so far.
 
 
Mike

So far the lower deck now has its superstructure buildings on and the paddlewheels in place. A few windows and doors have been added and some sanding and varnishing done although it still needs some more.
 
A word of warning to anyone thinking of getting a Constructo kit. The plywood is very soft and poor quality. Not only is it warped in the box, as soon as you try to plank it, it bends more. If you want to bend it it tries to bend in the opposite direction from that which you want. The measurements seem to be quite critical on this model which is not aided by wobbly wood. I have also discovered that the measurements of sections marked out to be cut do not correspond with the plan sheets - oh joy !!
 
You may be surprised to know that I love this model building really !

You are getting picky in your old age !! I look at your build and think to myself - if only I were that good - I can but try !