Rich_engr
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Not much progress on the build this week due to job hunting (got a couple callbacks about 3 positions, mini phone interview, and a few more apps out...), mowing the lawn, and repairing the cord on the vacuum since the weenie dog chewed it (while it was plugged in- luckily he didn't get zapped!). Last night and this evening I did manage to fabricate the pintles and gudgeons for the rudder. Now I have to finish some shaping of the rudder post, then paint. After that I'll make the tiller handle. Hopefully my soldering work will hold, since the iron is rather underpowered and had a lot of cold-solder joints. For the pintles & gudgeons, I did the following: 1. Cut a strip of brass about 1.5in long or so 2. Drill holes for the rivets 3. Bend into the "proper" shape 4. Solder pins 5. Dunk in the tank of Blacken-it. I'll get some pictures up maybe tomorrow. -
Ok... Managed to get the chafe blocks done (after 3 tries), painted, installed, and drilled the hawse pipes. Also touched up most of the paint on the hull, and while doing so I accidentally got some read paint on the deck... oops!!! So I wiped the paint off, then sanded a bit, then re-stained the deck, and this also prompted me to stain the gratings (which turned out nicely). So the boo-boo led me to some improvements on the deck- go figure! lol! Now it's onto the rudder- paint, fabricate pintles & gudgens, and add the chains. This should be fun, since I haven't soldered in a good while...
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Patrick, thanks!! Right now I'm in between touching up the paint, installing the hawse pipes/chafe blocks, and maybe work on the rudder a little... I want to try to get most of the lower exterior finished before really digging into the deck stuff. So it's some "house cleaning," or should I say, "hull cleaning" for a little bit.
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Joseph- looking good there! I found the fairing and aligning to be a bit of a pain since I was trying to be "overly cautious" (which probably can't exist in this hobby!). It is true that the plans are off a bit here and there, but if you stick to some logic and common sense, you won't notice it. Another thing to watch out for (once you get there pretty soon), is the beveling of the forward bulkheads, since they all taper and slant in the forward section of the hull. Check this with a short strip of wood plank, since this will also affect how the waterway and plank shear fit into place. Mine was off a hair, which is why there is a slight difference between my port and starboard sides (might be able to see it in the pictures in my build). Another tip: In addition to the filler/support blocks you have, try to get some strips/block that are flush with the top of the forward bulkheads just inside of where the plank shear goes, since these will help with the installation of the deck planks and nibbing strake (keeps the ends from sagging down). And watch the cat- they LOVE to chew bulkheads, horn timbers, and planks!!! (Had to replace a few, and fix a gun carriage from my Main coon! He also loves to shred paper, which luckily he hasn't touched my plans and paperwork.... yet...). LOL!!!! She's looking great so far- keep it up, take your time, and always have FUN!!
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I really like how the white pinstripe-waterline turned out- I'm very pleased with it. Just need to do a few small touches here and there and then get to working on the deck stuff. So in a day or two (depending on interviews hopefully), I'll get the hawse pipes done, and then it's back to seizing the rest of the gun tackle (thank God the blocks are stropped at least!!!).
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BUSY DAY! This was an awesome day for the job hunt (2 recruiters called, and had 2 mini phone interviews for a position I applied to on Friday, which is looking very promising!). At least it's some activity!!! And, the hull painting is now complete (minus some touch-ups here and there, of course):
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David- thanks for the tips! Your ship turned out great btw! I like the waterline marking device- I'll have to try that for my next build further down the road. But what I decided upon was to go with the basic black on the upper half, the regular hull green for the lower, and a 1/16" wide white pinstripe for the waterline. I should have it all done tomorrow. My method was this (albeit not as efficient): Painted the upper black portion down to the top edge of the waterline (lower part was masked. Cut strips of masking tape so they were exactly 1/16 in wide, and mask off the actual waterline. Paint the lower half the green. Reverse-mask the waterline (tape off both the top and bottom edge of my 1/16 in strip), and finally paint the white. I'll get some pictures up tomorrow evening (after hitting the job boards, and hopefully the gym) of both the hull and deck (sorry no guns installed... yet). (Painting the hull was actually somewhat sad, since all of the work of planking for two years or so is now covered up... was weird seeing all of that naked wood disappear into the paint.....)
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Looking good Brian! I like the filler blocks between the bulkheads- they definitely make her strong and rock solid. Framing all of the ports was fun, and I made it extra challenging on my build since I went a little overboard with my file when squaring things up. Also, to check the alignment and spacing, use a long piece of square stock to pass through the ports on both sides. She's coming along nicely there- you'll be onto the nitty-gritty in no time!
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Brian, yes I like the beer can idea (course I drink bottles)... lol! As for the job hunt, it's moving along (12-14hrs of looking and applying each day)- so far up about 25 applications all over the country, so we'll see... plus, had 3 recruiters call. Not as active/definite as I'd like, but it's better than nothing! And thank you for the support- I truly welcome it and it helps me stay positive and upbeat. Regarding the waterline, I just may go without either the white or teal stripe- after looking at numerous pictures of the actual ship I don't see any line that separates the upper black section with the lower green. I can probably start it this way, and if I don't like it, I can always paint over the top edge of the green with maybe a light yellow or white... Should get some pics up in a day or two.
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Yea, I agree that bleeding may occur. I second that regarding the teal- I may go with white or an off-yellow (to balance the color of the bulwarks).... After the hull is done being painted, I still need to drill the hawse pipes and add the fashion pieces at the stern, and review the plans to make sure I didn't forget anything. After that all checks out, it's on to the rest of the deck furniture, finish seizing the gun tackle & then their installation. After the deck is done, it'll be the channels and chainplates, followed by shaping the masts & spars (which I am rather intimidated with at this point, but I know I'll conquer).
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Larry, That seems like a reasonable approach. Since I already painted the upper half, I might try painting the waterline a little wider than needed, then mask over that with tape that's the correct width. This was my first hull painting job, so naturally I am trying to be careful since any misalignment will show up... But before I dive into the actual waterline, I need to figure out what color to use- the box shows a sort of teal, but I may have seen white or even a faded yellow on some models... (ooh- just had a weird idea, that may/may not work: instead of messing with super flexible masking tape, how about use a plank that's the width of the waterline, that runs the whole length of the ship, with some steam bending to fit the hull, and pin it in place? I may look into this, but I'm not sure as to the practicality of it...)
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Ok. FINALLY got the upper part of the hull painted after 3hrs of trying to get the +#*?!;** waterline straight and even!! So the black is done, now gotta do the line then the lower green. Regarding the waterline, I tried a few things: pencil in block, supported by my vice, along with trying to shim my stand to get the correct angle; freehand sketching, using some reference tick marks taken from the plans; and a weird sliding-pencil-rail-thingy jig (which did one side perfectly, but the other was all weird). Finally did a combination of freehand + tick marks + masking tape. Getting the waterline done has definitely been the weirdest and trickiest part thus far. But now it's done, and maybe I'll get the lower half painted. I'll get some pics up once I have the hull completely painted.
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Back to the build (after having 2 recruiters and a good resource call today!): Yesterday I installed the eyebolts & rings for the guns' inhaul tackle on the deck, and now I'm marking the waterline so I can paint the hull (before getting too far ahead with the deck fixtures to avoid damage). I also realized I still need to drill out the hawse pipes and install the chafing blocks... (gotta refer to the plans more often at this stage) So it seems like the job hunt is more active than my build, which is a good thing!
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Here's some pics of what I've done. After job hunting all morning and mowing the lawn this afternoon, I installed all of the cleats on the bulwarks, and test-fitted the gun tackle. Also, here's some (bad) pics of the carriage pins I made with the leftover chicken wire.
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Quick update: I installed the eyebolts in the bulwarks for the guns, blackened the carriage pins, and painted the cleats. So in between cleaning the house and job hunting I'm drilling and installing the cleats and other deck/bulwark hardware. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow or so.
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Tonight I found another use for the chicken wire (besides using it as makeshift barbed wire to keep my dog from jumping a 6 foot picket fence): pins for the gun carriages!!! I didn't want to use wooden dowels (seemed too "soft" for me), and brass nails or pins were too thin. Therefore, I snipped some short pieces of maybe #18 gage galvanized wire from the fence leftovers, and they're a perfect fit in the holes. They hold the guns VERY steady and solid, with no slack or slop, and they allow them to pivot very smoothly. So maybe tomorrow I'll dunk them in the B-I while perusing the job postings. That may be all for tomorrow since I need to take my car in to get looked at (yeah, I'm an engineer yet I know NOTHING about cars. I know more about ships & modeling than the inner workings of the modern internal combustion engine.) lol!
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Roger, welcome! I was born in Erie, and got to visit the ship during a summer vacation once. $200 is a pretty good deal, and the kit has plenty of stock in it. The Niagara is my first ever wooden kit, so I'm learning as I go. Don't be afraid of the bearding line (or anything on this build), but realize that you have people here to help and learn from. Seriously, if I could have steadily worked on the kit when I got it 4 years ago, I would already be onto my 2nd build by now. Once you start the kit, begin a build log and we fellow Niagara builders (and others) will follow along. Good luck!!! (start a log for your Santa Maria while you're at it!!) -Rich
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Hey Joseph- thank you and welcome aboard! Now, in addition to seizing the rest of the tackle, I'm going to install the eyebolts on the deck & bulkheads. This morning I made another 8ft of rope while the coffee was brewing. On the job hunting front- had a mini phone interview today & looks very promising!!! Hopefully I'll land an interview soon, followed by a schweet offer!!
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Slowing down the Dremel Rotary tool
Rich_engr replied to JPett's topic in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
J.P, Which model of Dremel do you have? If it's a variable-speed tool (such as the 395 like I have), the slowest they'll go is around 1000 rpm. You could try putting a rheostat in there, but the addition of the electrical components could make the device not as hand-held (duct/electrical tape, small box to house, etc.). If you'd like to get something that's in the 100rpm or so, try a slow single-speed, then rheostat for control. Btw, where I DFW? I'm in Tyler. -Rich -
Larry- nice work! Yeah, the framing takes some time and isn't the prettiest job- that's why they're planked over! . A nice file should clean up the ports once ready. Also, remember to check the height of the gun ports versus the drawings and the bulkheads- I think mine were originally too short, so I added a strip of square stock on top to get me the height I needed (and provide some real structural support). Unfortunately I don't have any pics (was pre-MSW 1.0 for me). But keep it coming- you're moving along great! (Framing stage is check, check, measure, check, check, then glue, check, check and sand/file, check!!).
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Friday Update: Managed to turn about 12ft of rope for the gun tackle (two 6ft runs on the ropewalk). According to my calculations, I will need to make a grand total of about 60ft of rope for all of the guns (and another 10ft or so for the breech lines). I've been gobbling up the 008" tan line for the tackle (3 strands per)- may need more for the rest of the ship! For the tackle & train lines, I've been using 3 strands of the 008 tan line (each SB + DB gets about 7in worth for seizing, reeving, and coiling/wrapping). I've made about half of the total rope needed thus far. For the breech lines, I make those using 3 strands of the 020 tan line (about 6-8in or so for seizing around the rings and slack in the lines when guns are stowed). All of the breech line rope has been made. My goal is to seize & reeve a set of tackle for 2 guns a day (10 lines), which is about another 10days of work there...
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I'll have to agree- I think the level of difficulty has more to do with the level of detail and especially the time required. I dove in with an intermediate for my first build, but with the help here and my slow, patient dedication it's coming along rather nicely. So be patient, ask questions, research, and most importantly HAVE FUN with whatever kit you choose! -Rich
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Brian, Yeah, since I've been doing the guns for a while now (and still some to go), I don't think I could handle a 1st rate right now... lol!!! And thanks for the support- at least I've been getting some hits and 2 replies!
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Mark, per your request, here are the guns (with breech plates, side plates and rings) placed on deck: Some touchup paint is still needed, and now I'm seizing the tackle lines. Good news is that I applied to 2 jobs today, and an HR guy called me back 15mins later!!! <fingers crossed>
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Dead Eyes (avant premiere) - moved by moderator
Rich_engr replied to stelios's topic in Masting, rigging and sails
Very nice and clean work- were they soldered?? Can't wait to see more!
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