JSGerson

Well worth the effort! BTW, what kind of wood did you use for the molding? It took the the sharp bends very nicely. Jon

Are you sure the log was on MSW? Could it have been on Ships of Scale or Model Ship Builder? Jon

I went back and looked at the other model brands and think I found what you were looking for, complete with the farewell. I had him mislabeled as a non-MS model builder. Captain Steve Jon

Just remember, it's a model, not a replica. It can be as detailed or simple as you want it. It is, after all, YOUR model. Jon

To help gain some space for the eagle, maybe thin the molding a bit. If you look at the plans, the molding on the plans are a bit narrower than your fabricated moldings. Sanding their inner surfaces will also eliminate any kinks left over from the pins used in forming the curves. I assume you didn't use the kit's laser cut moldings because they didn't suit your purposes or aesthetics? Jon

Ohh, I bet you thought you had me on this one. I know of 38 builds which have not been completed (at least not posted online). I defined a build as dormant if I have not seen any postings for two or more years. Of the 38, 17 are not Model Shipways full hull: Billing Boats - 1 Bluejacket - 3 Constructo - 1 Mamoli - 4 Mantua - 1 Scientific - 2 Scratch - 1 MS Cross Section - 2 Mamoli Cross Section - 2 Scratch Cross Section - 1 That leaves 24 incomplete builds. Based on your query of a completed hull with partial masts and no rigging, I have these four candidates: Jeff Toma Livingstoneman Maturin52 Mundie If none of these four are not the build you remembered, maybe he wasn't building a Model Shipways model. I still might have him listed as an active builder (25) who has posted in the last year or so but just not recently. These I haven't checked. Then of course there are the completed builds (28). Let me know if I should look some more. Jon

Looks beautiful!!! Jon

Yes, I agree, my method of making the pseudo bolts was tedious, but I feel in some ways easier than other methods I've seen including the Mr. Hunt's in his practicum. Making and applying the "bolts" was just a matter of punching out tiny "rivets heads" out of thin copper plate. The tedious part was applying a couple of thousands of them to the model. My method was to make a bunch "rivets" then apply them with Wipe-on Poly. That gave to time to position them where they needed to go. You get into a rhythm and it gets done. The illusion method works too, but you can't make mistakes, because once the holes are dilled, you hide them, but you can't remove them. Either method takes time. Jon

It's a nice optical illusion. I used the same method for the bolts on those big wooden cleats on the spar deck.

Thank you very much for showing us mortals how it's done. I was on my way figuring out this process by trial and error until I ran into my drilling problem. (We will see if I fixed that.) Hopefully you have reduced my chances of committing an over abundance of errors. Again, many thanks Jon

I don't have the 3-D printer plans, but I do have the original source US Navy plans. There is a lot of detail that has to be whittled down to the resolution of the printer. That's a lot of work in and of itself. Jon

Unegawahya - (I posted this on my log, but I'll repeat here) The finial is phenomenal, especially the spoke hub. It looks like the assembly was made from 3 or 4 pieces. What is the basic diameter? When I get to it, I would like to reproduce it, so any details you can provide would be helpful. In total admiration, Jon

Unegawahya - The finial is phenomenal, especially the spoke hub. It looks like the assembly was made from 3 or 4 pieces. What is the basic diameter? When I get to it, I would like to reproduce it, so any details you can provide would be helpful. In total admiration, Jon

Do you know sign language? I might be going deaf!!!😝

Oh well, it was wishful thinking. Shipyard shut down today due to noise pollution. I am having my 20yr old roof replaced, and there are eight guys with hammers banging away on my roof. They should be finished by the end of the day. Jon

Thanks for your efforts, but the link you provided is for round tube. You got lucky in finding square tubing with a round inside. I've been to the K&S site, Ace Hardware site, Hobby Lobby site, and Google in general; no luck. I did get my first order of new drill bits, so I'll see how that goes soon. Jon

I have never seen that brass item (1/16" square cross section, round hollow section) at Hobby Lobby or Hobby Town, my only local shopping choices. Hobby Lobby is mostly a crafts store and my local Hobby Town (30 miles away) is mostly an RC and toy store. Even online, I haven't seen that item. What is the K&S No.? Jon

I can believe your hand ached, been there done that. That is one reason I tried using the Dremel. Also, I wanted to ensure that I got a straight and true drill hole, which is the reason I used the drill stand. If I understood you correctly, where did you get square cross-section brass bar with that were hollow? I'm still waiting for the drill bits I originally ordered plus the ones Mustafa suggested. If those bits bite into the brass, the fabrication process should be much easier if not tedious. Jon

I would be proud to have these quarter galleries on my model. Well worth the effort. Jon

Peter, I have a 1900 photo of the ship when she was covered with a wooden housing structure, and even then she had the canopy brass. In this configuration she was a training ship and then a receiving ship. I don't think tourists were visiting the ship then which would mean the canopies were original to the function of a working naval ship. That means to me, they are not optional. If others model makers could do it, so can I. I may not have all the proper tools. but I do have tenacity😬. BTW, I did try using an awl, but at these scales, it was like using a blunt instrument and made no workable impression. I found that using push pins did make a light impression, but my drill bits just didn't want to play nice. Still waiting on the new bits to arrive. Jon

I took your advice and ordered the set you linked to in your post. Hopefully,, between my original order and this one, I'll have some bits that can bite!

I had mentioned to Unegawahya that maybe the problem was that I had cheap drill bits, and they weren’t properly hardened, so I ordered new (and hopefully better) bits for both sizes I was using. I am waiting for them to arrive. In the event, the new bits are not helpful, I have a Plan B, substituting plastic stock in lieu of brass. Specifically Evergreen Polystyrene No. 153 (1.5mm / 0.060” square). It’s easy to cut, drill, and its surface is very smooth like metal, but it needs to be painted. Since these fabricated parts will be very small, I am hoping the change in material won’t be too noticeable. And I have a Plan C, tight grain hardwood like Boxwood, but wood must be cut to size and pieces that small are very easy to split. So, while waiting on the order drill bits, I’ll work on something else.

The connector blocks ae to be made from 1/16” square brass bar stock. Now my old nemesis reared its ugly head once again: drilling holes into the brass. Brass tends to grab the drill bit unless it’s a bit designed to work with brass. I had a discussion with fellow builder Unegawahya (post 104,106,107, 108) who was successful drilling into the brass stock. Basically, he stated that the rotation speed needs to be slow, and the drill bit needs to be sharp, which he sharpens with a honing stone. Once more it comes down to having the proper tools which it appears I do not possess. I have a variable speed Dremel tool, a corded one-speed Dremel tool, a Dremel drill press stand, an X-Y table, an X-Y table vice, and a bunch of #67 (0.0320”) and #75 (0.0210”) twist drill bits. I also have problems. My cordless variable speed Dremel does not fit on my old Dremel drill press, so I am forced to use the corded one speed. I attached the vice to the X-Y table which was attached to the drill press and mounted the one speed on the drill press stand. I proceeded to make a 1/32” hole through some 1/16” square stock with the #67 drill bit. Because I could not slow down the rotation speed, I was lightly touching the metal by moving the rotary drill up and down with the stand’s lever so not to overheat the surface or the bit. It worked, but after I made 2 trial blocks, I couldn’t cut any more with either bit after the initial dimple was cut into the metal. Bits snapped in two, one literally untwisted itself and others bent sideways or into a zigzag shape. I tried sharpening the bit as suggested, but I didn’t have a honing stone and even if I did, the bit’s tip was so small, I could not see which face I was grinding even with my magnifying headset. All I had was a fine file and sandpaper so that didn’t work.

Below is what MS plans call for and their nearest equivalent K&S Engineering brand brass standard stock size: · 0.026” dia. rods for the vertical stanchions = K & S No. 9860 (0.020” / 0.50mm) · 0.013” dia. rods for the arching frame = K & S No. 5087 (1/64” / 0.410mm) · 0.013” dia. rods for the horizontal rails = K & S No. 5087 (1/64” / 0.410mm) There are additional ball ornaments, block connectors and finials which the MS plan does not assign dimensions. Based on the US Navy plans, these elements were simplified and reduced to scale as: 2.375” connecting blocks scaled to 0.03” = K & S No. 5082 (1/32” / 0.80mm) rod 3” ornament ball scaled to 0.039” = K & S No.815035 (1/32” / 0.800mm) tube However, in practical terms, if one constructs the canopy frames with brass components at actual scale dimensions, the frame would be extremely fragile. Just one errant bump, and the whole construct could bend out of shape. The brass is too malleable, not stiff enough. Another option is music wire. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong color and very hard to cut and bend to shape to the exact dimensions required. Therefore, I must choose a slightly oversized scale just for strength as follows: 0.032” dia. rods for the vertical stanchions = K & S No. 8160 (1/32” / 0.51mm) 0.020” dia. rods for the arching cover = K & S No. 9860 (3/128” / 0.800mm) 0.020” dia. rods for the horizontal rails = K & S No. 9860 (3/128” / 0.800mm) The additional ball ornaments and block connectors oversized to: 2.375” connecting blocks scaled to 0.03” = K & S No. 5083 (3/64” / 1.190mm) rod 3” ornament ball scaled to 0.039” = I purchased 1.0mm (0.04”) brass beads from etsy.com. For the finial, I think I can fabricate a simple facsimile I made a couple of forms to bend the arched brass cover pieces and planned the drill pattern for the connector blocks.

The only thing left before most of the hatchways are installed on the spar deck, are their canopy stanchions. These I want to fabricate off-ship as I expect it to be “easier” than on-ship. Obviously, the material of choice is brass rods and tubes, I try to fabricate things to exact scale within my skill set. Conveniently, the frame’s full-size dimensions (US Navy plan No. 6005106002) were simplified a bit as was necessary and reduced to scale on the MS plans.