Oystein

Thanks for the birthdaywishes (here and on other platforms) During my birthday I was on a holliday with my wife and the kids and it was very very good! 
 
Offcourse I will start a new build soon but at the moment I am very busy finding a full time job.
 
The last 7 years I was unable to work because of serious healthproblems. But in the last few months something beautifull happened. At the moment I feel very very well. I have not felt so well in ten years.
I don't know if I all my problems are solved (and I still use some medication, see the doctors and I participate in therapy) but I really really want to find a job
So now you know what's confiscating all of my precious buildingtime (and after finding the job I hope there will be some time left to build)

These models are so nice, I cannot find the proper phrase in English. 
Do I remember correct that you intended to weather your own model? Have you been salt chipping in secret?

Congratulations on finishing this very fine model of this mighty ship. It has been a joy and a privilege to follow your build log.
 
Øystein

Congratulations on finishing this very fine model of this mighty ship. It has been a joy and a privilege to follow your build log.
 
Øystein

Calling Captain Bob. Calling Captain Bob!
 
Hi Bob.  I've become a bit concerned that you haven't been posting for quite a while. I've sent you a PM a while back, to check to see if you were ok, but I've not had any response so far.
 
I hope all's well with you and your Admiral and that you're able to rejoin MSW soon.
 
All the best!
 
Patrick

little update..
(a few of the ultimate pics)
 
Nils
 

the bridge wheelhouse is removeable for viewing the nautical crew...
 
 

Captain, Helmsman, and the two machine telegraph-operators
 

 
the boy is offering the latest "board news"
 
 

talks on the forecastle deck
 
 

 
 

......."Muss i denn, muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus"......  (old folkssong, later also interpretated by Elvis during his serving time in Germany)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Build Log
Posting #5
Looking back on the previous instalments I feel I glossed over the many and varied
tasks, some very small yet necessary, involved in advancing the project.  These are not necessarily in chronological order.
-          shaping wood for replacement bulwarks and fitting them to the hull;
-          preparing hull for painting, and painting it;
-          making new main pin rails, including marking and drilling the pin holes;
-          repairing bitts and fiferails;
-          making new belaying pins from copper wire. (Note: copper or brass wire has been used instead of steel as would have been on an actual ship);
-          making triple “sheave” blocks needed for upper top, upper topgallant and royal yard halliards;
-          fitting halliard tyes;
-          rigging halliards for the hoisting yards i.e. upper top, upper topgallant and royal;
-          adding fittings (“spider bands”) to each mast;
-          attaching chain plates to hull for each mast;
-     making and installing main shrouds;
-     fitting capstays to each mast;
-     installing trestle trees, main and mizzen masts;
-      making and installing mizzen shrouds;
-     making new tops for each mast
-     rigging fore-topmast back-stay;
-     fitting ringbolts for anchoring main & mizzen stays;
-     rigging mainstay and mizzenstay;
-     fitting spreaders for backstays;
-     rigging topmast, topgallant and royal stays plus the associated backstays;
-     rigging ratlines on each of the 9 sets of shrouds;
-     incidental painting of mast sections, tops and trestle trees;
-     refurbishing existing running rigging blocks, and making some new ones;
-     making and fitting sheer poles;
-     resetting of shrouds;
-     refitting bowsprit guys;
-     refurbishing existing yards, and making necessary replacements;
-     preparing each yard by fitting the necessary fittings (e.g. jackstays, eye bolts, 
foot-ropes, rigging blocks) for the running rigging;
-          fitting yard lifts;
-          fitting buntline and clew line blocks on all 18 yards (small beads);
-          preparing and fitting wire brace pendants for each yard;
-          making a pair of bumkins that take rigging for the mainmast braces;
-          fitting braces, all of which involve purchases;
-          refurbishing and fitting the deckhouse;
-          repairing and fitting the skylight over the main cabin;
-          calculating dimensions of the spanker gaff and boom.
 
And as you seasoned modellers well know the task list keeps on growing. Pictures below are just a few from 2013 (4 years ago) to show a little of the progress.
1.      My improvised bumkin to accommodate the main lower braces.
 
2.      A more general view of the standing rigging – halliards for the 3 hoisting yards, lifts for the yards and braces for the yards.
 
3.      Some detail of the mainmast trestle trees.
 
4.      Detail of mizzen top.

Build log part 59...
 
Update :
 
for those fellow builders who frequently catching up on the status,.... I put in some overall shots....
The 4 open lifeboats are rigged, they are also equiped with oars (only rudderblades still missing). The two smaller boats will be in the same paint scheme, but without lifelines, as that is too much straining for eyes and hands. The remaining closed boats are waiting for the lifelines to be attached, refer to the pic for one first sample. I decided not to lash on seperate protection covers (canvas)
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

the oars are stored on the oposite side to where passengers would step into the boats
 

The two open boats on the left of the pic have appr. 5 mm less length and a lower sheerboard, they will match in color scheme
The "hard cover" shown here on the sample "closed boat" will be the protection canvas, no seperate lashings under and around the boat.
 
 

 
 

these are the two smaller (shorter) open, also clinkered double ender boats, that fit into the row of 10 boats per ships side with the others. These boats claim to be 1:144 scale, the figurines are 1:160, but I feel they match together perfectly
 
 
 
 

Update...
 
the first open port side boat has been set in place and rigged with the forward pulley. I think I`ll have the two first boats of each side in the open mode, as well as the third boats (also open), but they are a bit smaller, like on the actual ship. The blocks (3mm double sheave ) are out of Chuck`s production, I saved them up at the time he still was producing pear blocks in that size for this application.
All paint touch ups will be done after all the boats are rigged
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Build Log
Posting #4
Stepping of Masts and Rigging Shrouds
With the foremast having already been stepped the original shrouds were stripped off, and the original channels refurbished and fitted.  The original main and mizzen masts were stepped and a complete new set of shrouds were rigged.  The shrouds are copper wire, as are all the mast stays that came a little later.
 



Next came the “tops” for each mast all newly fashioned from rimu and shaped and drilled as per the originals which had suffered over the years.  New topmasts and topgallant masts were made of New Zealand kauri a very straight-grained timber that was extensively used for masts and spars on the windjammers in the 1800s and 1900s.  The fids are short bits of copper wire – the originals.  These mast sections were swayed up, as they say, and shrouds rigged for topmasts and topgallant masts.  Wire for these is smaller in diameter to keep a semblanceof scale.  Ratlines were all done using rigging thread.    

Then came the fore and backstays.  Following on came the job of refurbishing the sound yards and making up just a few to replace those infested with woodworm.  You very quickly learn that spars have a great many holes needed for the various fittings.  The little drill press again was invaluable.  Julius has simply made up copper wire eyebolts which he stuck into the holes where needed and for opposing fittings used a single piece of wire with an eye on each end. The photos indicate the “before” state, as well as the typical home-made fittings.


Thus, having now fitted the standing rigging, and the preparation of the yards, it was time to sling the yards into place along with their associated lifts and halliards.  It was quite an eye opener to learn how much cordage was needed to reeve the halliards in their triple block configuration.


As can be seen in 2 photos above, the transformation to having the running rigging for the yards - the braces - in place is significant.  I can tell you that quite a few hours was taken up in achieving this milestone.  To this point in the project, I still had enough of the original rigging blocks for this phase of rigging.  My apologies for the imperfect lighting for the photos. Please ask if you would like further detail on any aspect of the project.
 

Little update...
 
look of the open lifeboats, with floorplanking, seatings, hoist points, name and port of registration but still without lifelines
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Update :
 
here, the first one of the raw open boats. I think I`ll place one or two open boats later on each side of the ship...., most of the others will be closed and canvas covered boats
 
Nils
 

This is the same silicon mold as for the closed boats, but here additionaly a plug is inserted and fixed in position, before the resin is carefully poured in....
 

 
The result out of the silicone mold...

 
and after pulling the plug out
 
 

 
the two halves are glued together and the decking cover is milled out with a Dremel
 
 

 
 

seatings a bit broader and thicker, capacity, when full occupied 26 persons
 
 

My thanks go to Rob and Bill,
and all fellow members who gave their kind input, suggestions and comments for boats making... recently
Also thanks to all the "likes"...
 
Rob,
good idea with the vibrating palm sander, I must try that, and save in mind..., I was already thinking of what I possibly could use exactly for that purpose...
 
Bill,
the additional plug still requires some corrections, but I think in general it should work as intended. After glueing the halves together I will remove the center area of the halfmoon like top cover until only the rail on the sheer remains standing. Here in the white sample there is no inner bulwark support, whilst the translucent sample was made from the modified plug with 8 slots to resemble the ribs...
 
Nils
 

 
halves ready for fairing sanding the to be matching glue surfaces

 
here 5 completed boats

 
 
The upper sample with reinforcement ribs

 
the additional plug for hanging / fixing into the silicon mold

 
now that it works, the other side of the plug will also get outcuts

Build Log
Posting #3
Preparations for Standing Rigging.
As already mentioned 96 deadeyes (blocks) were needed in order to set up shrouds and backstays.  The photos below show the development.  From strips of hardwood the basic shape of the deadeyes was formed; then grooves were cut using a parting disc on the (Dremel) drill press – this was the starting point for the circumferential grooves that were completed later.
After scribing the lines for the various holes in the blocks the drill press was used to drill all the holes.  You sharp-eyed folk will notice the “fairing” of each hole – my method for doing that was simply to run some nylon monofilament (fishing line) backwards and forwards through each hole to produce the fairing in the correct direction.

 
Having then cut the strips into blocks it was a matter of using very small files (pattern files?) to cut the circumferential grooves.
Next was coating them with polyurethane as you can see below.
 
Finally the “chain plates”, made from wire, as Julius had done originally, were fitted to the blocks as shown.  As many scratch modellers find, you are often making up a new jig for making parts, such as chain plates.  I have now quite a collection of such jigs

Reflection.  Some of you probably wonder why I have made the various fittings instead of commercially manufactured fittings obtained from model makers’ stores. My main purpose in attacking this project is to turn this model into a memorial for my uncle.  So I felt it worthwhile to set to and do it as much as possible by hand.  I wanted to experience something of his life and the challenges he probably met in the building process.  I learned very early in this project is the requirement to be patient!  If you do something in a hurry you can quickly end up damaging your earlier work, so patience becomes progressively more important as the model becomes more complex, especially in the rigging.
Note:  This is a retrospective build log, the project having seriously recommenced in 2010.  In 1968 I had replaced: some of the bulwarks, the broken bowsprit, the deck over the focs’le, the foremast, fore topmast and foretopgallant mast, the mizzen mast, then set up foremast shrouds and stays, and had rigged the halliards for the foremast yards.  Then a glass case was made which has helped keep the model free from dust. 
Please therefore understand that I write now with the benefit of some hindsight!
 
Now to the business of stepping some masts.

Update :
 
further with boats production.......
It is my first attempt to make parts in silicone molds and to cast them out in polyurethan resin.
I`m quite satisfied with the result so far, and pleased that it worked out so easy....
Here a little documentation to share of the procedure (to whom it may concern)
 
Nils
 

making the boxes for the silicon molds, comprising baseplate and side walls
 

 
positioning the master model (halfside by halfside) into the box frame, holding it in place with a simple but adjustable support device
 

checking the horizontal centerline position....
 

two component silicone mixing relation 1:1, for the mold
 

seperating wax for the mold
 
 

 
the first mold half in silicon, the master inserted slightly more (0,5 mm)  than half deep
 
 

removal of the master half..., the lapstrake structure and even the fender-rope mold out well and precise
 
 

 
two components othe polyurethan resin and its catyliser (mix 1:1)
 
 

casting three halves at a time. The activated polyurethan resin has a working time of appr 2-3 minutes after mixing the two components together, before it starts to polmerisate and to turn to white coler as it does so
 
 

the result of the first attemt to cast the boat halves, now ready for fairing, trimming.
The activated resin batches (every batch at a time) is measured for 5-6 boat halves
 
 
 
 

Part 2
 

 
most of the ships carried guests
 
 

 
Original steam winch
 
 

 
entering the machine room, here the tripple expansion steam engine cylinder covers (2200 Psi)
 
 

 
machine control stand
 
 

a look into the crankrod section
 
 

 
 

the machine telegraph receiver gave orders every few minutes, was continuiously in action, here a young lady is driving the engine
 
 

 
 

 
round about midnight, a shot at the bridge deckhouse
 
 

 
and finaly arrival back to the point of departure at 01:30 past midnight
 
Nils
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Short excursion to Hamburg Harbour...
Some 50 Km from my home..
 
Yesterday evening my wife and I had an invitation to take a river trip with the live museum steamer and steamship-icebreaker, (built 1933) "Stettin" on the Elbe river. This weekend was the 828 th Hamburg harbour aniversary, and the ride went from 21:00 to midnight. It was rounded off with a beautiful firework over the harbour, and to be watched from board  the ship. The selfmade pics I would like to share with MSW fellow members in two parts....
 
Nils
 
Part 1
 

Maritime museum pier at Övelgönne for traditional ships and work boats, (Elbe river
 

This is the stem powered icebreaker "Stettin" at the river mooring ponton
 

The "Aida Prima" cruise ship passes by
 

The ship hull, all structures and interior make a very good impression
 

 
 

Bridge
 
 

 
Machine telegraph
 
 

I had the chance to be down in the engine- and firing room at the boiler furnaces during departure. The sight of the steam engine at work, the reciprocating piston rods, crossheads and cam levers in live action was just amazing and wonderful. The orders for the machine control came down per machine telegraph, the accompaning "ring, ring" 
was continuosly heard in the background
 
 

Bridge wheelstand with rudder position indicator and compass
 
 

Other side of the river was the container terminal, and during the ride many types of sailships were busy on the stream....
 
 
to be followed by part 2....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Build Log
Posting #2
The model: representing a 3 Mast full-rigged ship - square sails on each  mast.
Note: scale and all dimensions are estimated
 
Scale:                          1:55
Full size hull length:   55m (190 feet)
Beam:                         10.8m (35ft) Mainmast truck to deck: 43m (141ft)
Truck to waterline:     46.75m (153ft)
Truck to Keel             50.6m (167ft)
Main course yard:      21m (68ft)
Sail area:                    1,800 sq.m (19,500sq.ft.)
Displacement:           760 tonnes (750 tons)
 
In the photo below the first thing to note is that the hull is fashioned from a single piece of wood. Reburbishing it involved cutting out most of the original bulwarks, which being made of quite soft wood – probably our native (NZ) white pine – which woodworm (borer) loves!  Replacements were made using our NZ Rimu (red pine which was NZ’s main building timber in days gone by) by copying the originals.  Of course new pin rails were needed too and rimu was my choice for these. The original belaying pins were simply made from copper wire of the diameter that fitted cosily into the holes.                                                   
                                                        

In this careening position can be seen the remains of the original livery colours. The light grey above the waterline has given the only clue I have as to perhaps the inspiration for this model.  Only recently – early 2017 - an acquaintance on seeing my model, exclaimed that the livery was that of the “J.J. Craig Line” of Auckland which operated in the first decade of the 20th Century.   So it seems a little more than a possibility that a ship of this line may inspired that young lad, my uncle Julius.  Note the keel running the full bilge length – it is solid lead. 
Photos below shows readiness for stepping main and mizzen masts, and for that 96 deadeyes were needed.


 

Hi all –
 
Thanks again for the compliments and likes.  I have to say that the questions and discussions always stimulate my mental juices.  Keep them coming, and please don’t worry about pointing out things that can be improved.  It is always better to hear about them during the building process when they can be corrected.
 
The last segment ended with the hull smoothed and primed.  Next came the process of detailing it.  In the two photos below you can see that the surface was very smooth.  Construction was done with welded plates, edge joined rather than having strakes of overlapping in-and-out plates as earlier ocean liners had.  This meant that the hull would be simpler, but what was done would have to be more precise.  This was especially true for the two lines of portholes.  Which are the most obvious features other than the ship name and the green detail stripe. 
 

Close examination of these and other photos, as well as the plans, indicated that the lines of portholes followed the curve of the sheer.  None of the photographs of the portholes show any detail, no matter how close the photograph was taken or how much I enlarged it.   They simply look like holes in the hull.  I am sure that there were small lips around them, but I never could see any.
 
The first step was to offer up the plans to the hull and to compare the porthole locations on the paper, one by one, to the portholes that I could see in the photos.  It turned out that the plans did not show some 15 portholes on either side of the hull.   They were marked on the plans for future use.
 
Then the plans were cut right through the top line of portholes and taped to the hull.  As you can see, the line on the plans wanders a bit up and down, so the plans could not be used “out of the box.”  Using a compass, the distance from the sheer edge of the hull block to the first line of portholes was set and a light line drawn along the length of the hull.  An awl was used to make starter holes along the pencil line at each porthole location. 
 
At the bow the flare of the hull pulled the plans up, so the portholes would have ended up too high on the hull.  The curves also made it impossible for me to just use the compass to set the line.
 
My solution was to apply 1/16” black striping tapes just below the porthole locations.  I could apply them, eyeball them, and adjust them as needed to get two matching sets of straight lines on both sides of the hull.  The plans were then used to set the horizontal locations for the portholes, and starter holes were made with the awl.

 
I next had to decide how the portholes were going to be modeled.  Since they had no detail, I could have simply made holes in the hull.  I tried it on some scrap, but the edges of the holes often came out ragged.  This was unacceptable.  A sleeve of some sort would solve this.  In prior models I had used small brass grommets, but I could not find any which were small enough.  They had to be around 18” in scale, or about 0.05” on the model, for the interior diameter.  The length was less important, but something around 3/16” would be good for ease of handling. 
 
I could have sourced some brass tubing and cut off individual pieces.  I even have a powered cutoff saw that uses an abrasive disc rather than a saw blade.  But making over 500 of them without burrs or flash which would need additional cleanup was not something I wanted to try.  Instead, I found 1mm x 4mm fluted brass beads on the Fire Mountain Gems website.  This was a perfect size, but when they came in I saw that they were not perfectly round.  The fluting process turned them into rounded pentagons.  The difference was only visible under magnification, so I decided to use them.
 
The outside diameter of the beads was 0.060” at its largest, so an 0.062” drill was used to make all of the holes in the hull.
 
A toothpick was the perfect size to pick up a bead and slide it part way into a drilled hole, leaving them proud of the surface.  The friction fit between the beads and the holes was probably enough to secure them, but the sides were painted with dilute white glue to be sure.
 
Then a small tack hammer was used to set them down flush with the hull.  Before the glue set the line was eyeballed and any beads that were slightly high or low were nudged into proper place.
 
The hull was given another coat of primer to blend in the portholes and fill any small gaps around the beads.   When I was satisfied the upper hull was given a final coat of gloss white.  The paint was left for 24 hours to dry, then the upper hull was masked at the waterline with tape and paper towels.  The lower hull was painted an OSHA red that closely matched my best color photos of the hull.
 
At this point it was only a few days till the Joint Clubs Conference on April 29, so I did a few things a little out of sequence to make a better impression.  Photoetched brass doors from Gold Medal Models and Tom’s Modelworks were painted white and applied to the hull following the locations on the plans and photos.  Self-adhesive green striping tapes were applied to the hull.  The one at the waterline is 1/8” wide, while the upper decorative one is 1/16” wide. 
 
These green stripes are only temporary.  Although they are the right color, they are a bit too thick and the upper one is a bit too wide.  The thinner tapes do not come in the right color, so I may have to take thin white tapes and paint them.  More on this later.  Similarly, the windows here at the stern are paper place-holders until I can make up the custom decals that ultimately will be used.    
 
At the bow I can see that some touch-up work is needed, but nothing that can’t be accomplished with a bit of elbow grease.
 
So here she is at the conference again.  The prominent line of windows of the promenade deck have been printed on pieces of paper to test the fit.  The paper ones will be replaced with laser-cut ones done in either 0.020" styrene or a thin plastic-impregnated circuitboard material.   Unfortunately, she has to be set aside for a bit so I can complete the QAR.  I will pick her up again when I can.
 
Until then, be well.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
 

Hello all - 
 
Just a quick photo for those who could not make it to the Joint Clubs Conference in New London last Saturday.  
 
Bob Marvin brought me the funnel cages from Shapeways.  They were perfect.  Here they are, temporarily set on the rough cut superstructures.  They need no sanding, just priming and painting. In the fullness of time I will fill them with the multiple tubes and struts of the funnel pipes.
 
 As you can see, there has been some more progress on the hull, but I have not had time to write up the log.
 
More soon.
 
Dan
 
 

Small update...
 
all 40 raw davits have been made, now every one is being equiped with a lead for the pulley rope in the upper curve and a cleat on the vertical post, just above deck level.
The unprimered section will be painted when the davits are mounted, otherwise I would scrape off the paint where the post passes the bearings, when pushing through...
 
Nils
   
 
 
 

officer briefing two sailors on the aft deckhousing
 

Thank you very much Gerhard,
words, much appreciated....
 
a helmsman is climbing the "monkey island" for the feeling of freedom under the wide ocean sky and calm weather, and is preparing to steer the 14,300 tons and 31,000Psi here from this point for a while...
 
Nils
 

 

Update :
 
here we have the captain, just behind the the stb. bridge bulwark. He is proudly watching his baby plough the Atlantic, as the bow wake browses by. This little figurine, together with the gentleman and the two lady passengers in conversation two decks below, I`m proud to posess. They are a gorgious gift from MSW member "TLC", who saw that I was on the look for certain figurines in scale 1:144 or 1:160 N-gauge, specialy  the captain, and he so kindly merged the make of these with a young Bulgarian artist, who was producing miniature dolls and dollhouse articles. She herewith, first time attempted, custom made,  to do a long time searched for captain for the KWdG, and I know she did a top job on it.
Many thanks again at this ocasion to "TLC" and the young artist...
Now is the time to have these figurines boarding and placed on board at exponated positions.
 
Also today I received the etched brass wheels from "M.Z. Modellbau", Manfred Zinneckers webshop and they are correct in size and look top, so the telemotors could be completed, installed, and the hydraulics connected thereto. The bridge crew is now complete and doing its job...
 
Nils
 

Captain in scale 1:144 with moustarch and in his Norddeutscher Lloyd uniform....
 

the litte group of passengers, two ladies in their 1900- 1910 fashions in conversation with the gent at the railing on the forward promenade deck
 

one of the two telemotors after completion...
 

the little Revell color can for scaling
 
 

the nautical crew at work, hopefully they bring her safe to the port of destination
 

 
 

 
 

Many thanks go to Christos, Gerhard, Bob, Greg, Eddie, John and Igor,
for your nice comments and compliments....
 
Christos,
thanks for your words..
 
Gerhard,
am very pleased that you like it...
 
Bob,
thanks again for you nice compliment, much appreciated...
 
Greg,
thanks for your words and greetings to Down Under...
 
Eddie,
another greeting to Australia and thanks for your compliment...
 
John,
wow, again Australia ! thanks John, I`m learnig a lot for english nautical terms, keep them coming....
 
Igor,
correct in scale the wheels ought to be 7,5 mm diam. outside the spokes. So I should be looking for 7-8,5 mm, if possible etched brass. I was lucky to have found some inbetween now and look forward to holding them by the weekend...
 
Nils
 
 made some scaled brass steering columns, comprising the column, the reduction gearbox, hole for the wheel and the reservoir for the hyraulic oil. In German they are called "Telemotor", and actually  the steering-wheel remote operates the hydraulic circuit for actuators on the steam valves far back stern where the steam powered steering mechanics sits under the waterline, within the tail cone area.
 

wheel axis and wheel still missing here..., one for the bridge, one for the "monkey`s island"....
 
 

The three main controll instuments
 

At long last - having been much diverted over the past 6 months, I will attempt to write a coherent story of this project.  In introducing myself I outlined the history of this model which you can read in my earlier postings.  Briefly, the model was built by my Uncle Jules (Julius, born 14 Feb 1888) just before 1900, he is photographed with it sailing past him in 1899,so I know it does sail!  It has no name.  At age 14 Jules went off to sea for six or seven years, serving in several square riggers including the large "Down Easter" Edward Sewall.  A few surviving letters home showed that it was at times a very tough life.  Among his relics is his sailmaker's palm, and sketch books with some stunningly beautiful miniature drawings of a variety of  sailing ships, plus his army issue copper pannikin (bowl) and mug from his first World War service.  Sadly he died in Cologne Germany (occupational force) of the influenza epidemic.  So this project is my memorial for Jules.
 
My Dad inherited the model in the 1940s and it lived in its cradle on the wall of my parents bedroom until 1968 it was passed on to me.  Having had a very quiet life the model was in a pretty sad state.  The fore and mizzen masts were infested with woodworm as were several other masts and yards including the jibboom.  There were no sails, these having presumably fallen apart over the years, butut the rigging was still recognisable.  I was intrigued to discover that the ship had been altered after the sailing photos - in place of a large cargo hatch there is now a smaller hatch, and a deckhouse has been added. You can still see the outline of the big hatch in the decking.  The hull is made from a solid piece of timber (lumber)
 
On taking possession I began the restoration by cleaning out the accumulated dust of 60 years or so and fitting new mast sections, and jibboom, plus renewing bulwarks. Then did nothing from 1969 to 2010, except to get a glass case made for it.  So for this posting I close now with a few photos of as it was.  The fresh paint indicates where timbers have been replaced.