Force9

Additional gun deck detail
 
I've decided to add another hatch adjacent to one already existing on the gun deck... No two sources seem to agree on the general layout of the gun deck, but I figure that the adjacent hatches on the spar deck should be reflected on the deck below.  This would more logically allow more rapid egress between multiple decks.  It also affords me the chance to add more depth to my model - I'll eventually fashion a bit of the berth deck and have a companion ladder leading down another deck.
 
The hatch was done similarly to the other holes I whacked in the spar deck:


 
There is a compromise to accuracy noticeably present - I had to create a platform for the gun deck capstan.  The position of the spar deck capstan does not quite align with the theoretical position of the underlying gun deck capstan - the lower hatch interferes slightly.  I built up this platform to align with the hatch edge as my new capstan will overlap that coaming.  So kill me!
 
The ship's stove will need a "tray" to rest upon.  I scratched in a brick pattern on some sheet styrene and added it to the deck in the appropriate spot with a bit of edging around to complete the effect:

 
I also thought the Captain's day cabin could use some upgraded cabinetry detail:

 
You'll notice some shot racks added around the hatches as well... No provision for shot storage is made anywhere in the Revell kit.  I think it would be general practice to include these around any large hatches on a frigate this size.  Here is the basic deck completed and ready for the next wave of detail (bitts, capstan, stove, pumps, etc.):


 
Thanks for following along!

Finishing off the beams and carlings on the spar deck...
 


 
Here is a peek at the underside:



 
The beams are fashioned from .100 x .156" (Evergreen 177) styrene and the carlings are .080 x .080" (Evergreen 164)
 
Turned out reasonably well...

Folks...
 
I've just returned from a business/holiday trip to the East coast.  I somehow managed to be on hand when Old Ironsides put up her sails and proceeded along on her own power for the first time since 1997 - albeit for only 1,000 yards or so.  It was done to commemorate her great victory over HM Frigate Guerriere exactly 200 years hence.  After her brief sail, the tug brought her in close to the fort on Castle Island where she fired off her obligatory 21-gun salute to the roaring approval of the gathered throng.
 




 
Enjoy

Here are some better photos with lighting that highlights the scribed lines...
 




 
The step pattern was initially laid out using the diagram in the Longridge book (Pg 121).  Then it was a matter of coming along and scribing every fifth plank - either vertically or horizontally until the deck was complete.
 
Thanks for looking

Great progress Popeye... I used the kit deck and scribed my own plank pattern after sanding the deck smooth.  Fun.
 
FYI - You can get a veneer deck for this kit thru John at scaledecks.com
 
Evan

Lots of traveling around this summer and the garage workshop has been too hot and stuffy to get much done in between... I have made a bit of progress and I'll catch everyone up in a few weeks.  Stay tuned!
 
Cheers
Evan

Looking good!

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Stern plating update. Not going so well.
 
I managed to address the alignment with the centerline issue, but that is about the only positive. It's moot anyway as, for a number of reasons, I've decided to strip off what I've already done and start over.

 
The overlaps here shown in the red circles seems way too much. I'm not sure if this is modeler error or manufactured error or a combination of both.
I don't see how piece #18 could have been put on any other way. I had issues with forward plates, lining up with longitudinal plate seams on the kit. This is perhaps why. I've observed a photo on Facebook of a Mini Brass application and this particular piece does not overlap as much as here. Again, not sure if it's me.
The blue circles indicate gaps and protrusions I'm not happy with. This plating is .010" (.25mm) thick styrene. Again on Facebook, I read a comment from a modeler who used .005" (.13mm) styrene as they thought it is closer to scale. I'm inclined to agree with that. My next attempt will be with .005" thick styrene.

 
This photo shows the plate seams of the aftermarket kit not lining up with the plate seams on the Trumpeter hull (red arrows). Green arrows show a huge gap between a plate edge and the rub rail. I cut another #33 plate to replace this one.

 
More of the same. Plates just not lining up for me.

 
Upon studying historical photos in trying to determine solutions to the above, I discovered another issue. The kit's portholes (aka sidelights) do not agree with how they actually were on this area of the ship.
Granted, the photograph is of the Olympic, but this photograph is basically accepted as the best representation of what the Titanic's stern area looked like, given that they were sister ships. No photograph of the Titanic's stern exists that is better than this one.
So, back to the issue....the portholes on the Olympic (and one can assume, the Titanic as well) are higher up and closer to the adjacent rub rail (blue arrows) than the Trumpeter kit portholes. I image when I get to this point again, with my 2nd attempt, I will not take the plates this far forward and just go with the Trumpeter's portholes locations. I just don't see how those can be adjusted upwards without messing with the alignment all the other portholes forward of there.

 
 Another issue.... I wasn't happy with my decision to add a 7th plate either side of the center plate of the transom area. It's just not accurate. So I removed them. That brings up the question again....why are these kit plate seams (circled in red) left exposed and what to do to rectify that?

 
Researching this indicates to me that these six plates do not go forward enough. Using the porthole circled in green as a reference supports this. The plates in the photograph appear to end further forward than the aftermarket kit's plates. 

 
By measurement I've concluded that if these six plates were just 1mm wider, each, that would leave a more accurate representation. Therefore, I'll be cutting these plates 1mm wider for my 2nd attempt.

 
As well, some of these plates are not high enough, it would appear (blue circle). Hopefully, I won't forget about that aspect as well, when cutting the new plates.

 
While studying the historical photographs for solutions to the above , I discovered another apparent anomaly.
The kit has three plate seams along the area indicated, whereas the photograph indicates there were five along here.

 
I rectified this with .010' x .020" styrene strip.

 
And here as well. Plate seams in the photograph, but not on the kit. Rectified.

 
That's it for now. I just had an angiogram on Thursday and had two stents implanted. Can't golf for 5 more days, so I'd like to get to my hobby store tomorrow and get some .005" styrene sheet and get started with my 2nd attempt at the stern plating. I'll be using the negative spaces of the aftermarket kit sheet as a template.
 
Thanks for looking.
 
Cheers,
Mark
 
 

I have seen a lot of discussion on the site concerning the rudder and the pintles.  Specifically, around the leading edge of the rudder.  The first is, should it be square as depicted on page 16 or rounded as depicted on page 19?  Also, should the pintles be "countersunk" into the leading edge of the rudder (as shown on page 19) or not?  Using the details on page 19, I have decided that the leading edge should be rounded and the pintles countersunk so that the rudder is as close as possible to the sternpost.  Using a table scroll saw I cut out the six notches for the pintle to sit in.
Since I will be coppering the hull and rudder, I am not to concerned with smoothness of the rudder.

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

@Paul Jarman Thanks for the note... It seemed to me that there were a million portholes as I was drilling them out... Gawd forbid I have to add the rivets!!!
I popped in on your build - great to see a wood kit that lets you construct a much more accurate hull underbody.
 
@richardhd Thank you for popping in too.  I appreciate any encouragement.  I suspect you're not the only lurker... Unless 7 people are clicking on my build a thousand times each.  
 
I'll say that this kit can never be 100% accurate - but I will try to move things a bit closer to the historic ship where possible.  Most purists would probably not take this on because of the discrepancies - or abandon ship midway thru in exasperation.
 
Don't hold your breath awaiting paint... I'll likely put off painting the hull as long as possible.  It'll become a much more fragile thing that will be susceptible to scratches, blemishes and dust... I'll avoid those risks until I absolutely have to apply paint in order to proceed.
 
Thanks to all for the Likes and the patience between updates.
 
Cheers
Evan

Propeller Wings
 
The propeller wings on the Olympic class liners were graceful appendages that blended smoothly into the hull plating while supporting the massive prop shafts and propellers.  

The Trumpeter kit representations…not so graceful.  This is one of those Trumpeter adaptations that don’t match well with the actual ship.  The kit wings meet the kit hull abruptly and look a bit out of place.  In fact, the Trumpeter kit has these placed a bit too low and they don’t align well to the nearby hull strakes – which are also out of alignment with what was in place on the Titanic.
 
The detail on these pieces is subpar… The plating is wrong and a little overscale.
 
There seem to be some 3D printed versions available online, but I think this is another case where these versions are too accurate – they’ll look out of place on the model.
 
I’ll reach back into my bin of styrene sheets and strips and try to make the best of what the kit provides.  I won’t try to correct the hull strakes and the prop wing placement, but I can add better detail and get things to blend more seamlessly.
 
First, I’ll remove all the surface detail from the pieces:



I cemented the pieces together and added half round strips to the ends:

After attaching the wings to the kit, I was worried that there wasn’t enough surface contact where they meet the hull. I’ve reinforced them by adding thin half round strips into the crease where they meet the hull.  The curved side faces into the kit to maximize the surface contact:


 
Next, another larger half round strip was added above the first to fill in the gap and provide an angled surface for the styrene strips that will blend into the hull strakes.
 
I laid the first strip on the upper surface to serve as the baseline for the other elements. This was a .010 x .156 strip that was liberally doused with cement and pressed flat.  The top edge was trimmed to match the adjoining hull strake.

The remaining elements were fashioned from .005” Styrene sheet that I ordered directly from Evergreen… Hard to find these thin sheets at local hobby stores or model train shops.

The next “plate” was traced using Tamiya Tape to make a template for a tight fit:

…then transferred to the .005 sheet.

 
 


The remaining plates were added using the same process.

For the underside, strips of .010 x .156 were used. The ends were all trimmed to align with the bottom edge of the nearest hull strake.


Any gaps or blemishes were filled with Tamiya modeling putty and sanded smooth after drying overnight:


Some sample views:

 
 
 

 

Still a bit more work to do… Including the starboard side wing.
 
I’ll define the individual plates and add final details on the next post.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Ahh!
 
Not forgotten about, but stalled out, about to get her back in the dock again!
 
I got a new job, which involved travel, move to smaller place, more travel, move to a bigger place, and now, finally have the "Harlan and Wolfe" yad open again. I'm just completing another smaller and quicker project first.
 
Also, I screwed up the minbrass plates something fierce, but the Midwest Model SHop made the same plates in styrene, so the first order of business will be working those on!
 
Cheers
Harald

Ahoy Evan!
 
Yes, very much content with the porthole drilling and repairs complete.
 
Regarding the stern counter plating options, if I had scratch build skills such as yourself, I likely would have gone that route as well, but alas, as essentially a beginner, I need help in some areas. Yes, I'm pleased with my decision to go with Ben's kit. A little more economically friendly than the Mini Brass kit and not as heavy as well.
 
As well, I'm hoping my build log will help others. Just to avoid my beginner mistakes, if nothing else.
 
Cheers,
Mark
 
 

Ahoy Mark!
 
Catching up on your outstanding progress...
 
I bet you're thrilled to be past all of the portholes!  That guidance provided by Mr. Boyd is soooooooo helpful.
 
I'm excited to see this build log and especially interested in the MidWest Model Shop additions on the stern counter.  I think using Ben's styrene version makes a bit more sense than going with the Mini-Brass.  Hopefully you'll be pleased with the result.
 
Thank you also for the kind remarks in your intro - I do hope my build log helps others to get a running start. (as will yours!)
 
Cheers
Evan

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

@LAHF1  Ahoy Loni... Thank you for popping in... I appreciate your interest in my Titanic.  I hope you consider adding your perspective in a build log or some other format.  I find that keeping some sort of log helps me to organize my approach and maintain the long view needed to make progress.  Hope you had a great holiday season!
 
 
@Jeff59 You have a great start on gathering some terrific enhancements for the Trumpeter kit... Good stuff.  I'm being cautious about how much investment I need to make on 3rd party add-ons.  At some point they can detract rather than enhance... I'll try to focus on acquiring elements that solve for issues that I can't otherwise handle with some scratch building - or at least gain significant time advantages.  Model Monkey is a terrific resource - I've utilized some MM 3D prints for my Old Ironsides build.  Certainly the Titanic funnels are on my radar.  I do hope that my build helps with your efforts in some small way... At least serve as some sort of inspiration.
 
@NavyShooter I checked in on your Titanic... That is a big boat.  Impressive 3D printing - must've taken days to generate! Thanks again for looking in on my build.  
 
@Roger Pellett Please let us know if Naval architects do discover the necessary engineering needed in order to sailor proof anything that floats. 
 
@md1400cs  I'm happy you found your way here... I suppose at some point I'll have to admit that I'm immersed enough in all of Titanica that I'm another in a long list of Titanicphiles... A fan.  She is a beautiful ship and the circumstances of her end makes for compelling research in my quest to enhance the kit and move it closer to an accurate representation.
 
To that end... I'm gonna double down on the research side of the hobby.  I've decided it was time to join the club:

 
I'm now a proud member of the Guild and have already benefitted from my first Journal issue... A great overview of a FFG build that will inform my own (eventual) kit build... An older brother served on a Perry class frigate while escorting tankers during the Persian Gulf war.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

@Roger Pellett
 
Ahoy Roger... The book has some fascinating insights and I am learning a lot that isn't included in the normal fare that we all consumed about the Titanic over the years.
 
I will PM you regarding the email insights.
 
I do like the professional assessment that Naval Engineers provide about the Titanic disaster... Sure, the rivets varied in relative tensile strength and the cold temperatures of the North Atlantic may have played a part in their failure... There was a smoldering fire in a coal bunker that may have weakened the nearby bulkhead and made it vulnerable to hydrostatic failure... But ultimately the Titanic was state of the art and built to the highest standards available in that era.  
 
After extensive research and recent insight I've unearthed the TRUE reason for the tragedy of the Titanic... Psst (in whispered tones)... While steaming along at over 20 knots she sideswiped an iceberg in the North Atlantic.  The rivets would've failed regardless... The internal bulkheads would ultimately fail to protect her regardless... No level of 1912 era technology would've saved her.
 
Sure... Plowing straight into the berg might've kept her afloat with massive casualties in the forward section.  But nobody then or now should advocate for Murdoch to have made that choice.
 
I should include this stuff in my YouTube log!
 
Cheers
Evan

Center Keel
 
Time to lay the keel down… Obviously this is where the actual ship began construction, but I’m only now getting to this critical element on my build.
 
I laid the keel down in manageable sections using .030 x .080 Styrene strips.  Not sure this would be exact to scale, but it closely lines up to the width shown on my 1/200 scale print of the hull bottom.

The critical thing is to keep it straight all the way down the length of the underbody.  I taped a straight edge against the styrene and began cementing down the aligned strip in two-inch increments – moving the straight edge along as I worked my way from bow to stern.  I also had a small piece of scrap styrene that perfectly fit into the needed gap between the keel and the inner edge of the hull plating that I test fitted as I glued each strip.
 
The forward most keel section was tapered to meet the kit keel at the bow.  

The stern section was angled down toward the sternpost and filed to blend.


It really takes some effort to make sure that the keel stays straight and true all the way across the length of the hull.


Butt Straps
 
Generally, the hull plates were overlapped and riveted together across the length of the hull.  There was, however, a section of strakes lower down in the hull that had the butt ends set flush together without the overlap.  These plates were held together with “butt straps” – small plates riveted to the ends of the abutting hull plates.
 
See my orange highlights in Bob Read’s hull plan:

(Note that the port side butt straps are indicated with dotted outlines in Bob’s drawing and are offset port vs starboard.)
 
The Trumpeter kit seems to include faint outlines of these straps in the approximately correct location forward of the bilge keels. No indication, however, on the strakes aft of the bilge keels.  
 
Bob’s drawing shows five of these forward and four aft.  In a perfect world these butt straps would all line up against a single strake across the length of the kit underbody. This would include the tops of the butt straps that peek out above (and below) the bilge keels.  Unfortunately, the compromises made by Trumpeter in molding the hull have made it tough to add these butt straps with all the top edges aligned against one hull strake.
 
I’ll need to fudge things a bit to get these represented on my model. I’ll go ahead and use the kit outlined versions forward of the bilge keels for positioning my straps.  Aft of the keel I’ll align them against the existing kit hull strakes - marked first with a pencil.  

Thin .010 x .156 strips of styrene will be used for these butt straps:

These will all sit in line with the “in” strakes of the molded hull.  I inserted small snips of styrene to fill the gap to create a flush surface before overlaying the butt straps:

The corners of the styrene were first rounded and then cemented in place.

Once put in place, I came back along and sanded down the straps to reduce the dimension – didn’t want these to stand out too proud against the hull. Tape protected the hull while I used an Emory board.

Sample views:

 
 

I’ve decided to hold off on adding the bilge keels for now.  There is much abuse left to deliver on the hull and I think these keels will be fragile and vulnerable as I flip the hull on its side and upside down to make more modifications.  I can be patient and add these (along with more butt straps) at a later stage.
 
Miscellaneous Detail
 
I’ve also been tending to some of the smaller details along the hull.  
 
The historic photos show a small crease near the hull stern plates:

I grabbed the hobby knife and a micro chisel and went to work.

Thanks again for the interest everyone has shown (and the patience between updates).
 
Pondering next steps – probably the propeller wings.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Ahoy Mark!
 
Catching up on your outstanding progress...
 
I bet you're thrilled to be past all of the portholes!  That guidance provided by Mr. Boyd is soooooooo helpful.
 
I'm excited to see this build log and especially interested in the MidWest Model Shop additions on the stern counter.  I think using Ben's styrene version makes a bit more sense than going with the Mini-Brass.  Hopefully you'll be pleased with the result.
 
Thank you also for the kind remarks in your intro - I do hope my build log helps others to get a running start. (as will yours!)
 
Cheers
Evan

Apologies to everyone for the long delay… I spent some time across the past few months working on my US Frigate Constitution model along with a bunch of travel (including to the other coast for my daughter’s college graduation) that kept my Titanic on ice (so to speak).
 
Let me catch you up.
 
Propeller Wings Continued…
 
There was still some styrene to add to the propeller wing surfaces.  The top and bottom wings are now completely covered and additional styrene was bent and glued around the prop shaft/boss outer surface. 
 

 
 

 

 
Added some thin strips to represent the plate overlaps in the same manner as the underbody hull plating… 
 

 
Used Tamiya tape to make a template to help guide similar placement on the starboard wing to make sure it all looks equal from the stern.
I won’t be utilizing the kit provided propellers, but why not slide them on to get a quick perspective with everything in place?

 
Next up I’ll highlight my initial effort to thin out the sides of the hull around the open first-class lobby entry doors to better match the scale.
 
Cheers,
Evan