NMBROOK

Some photos with the resin sanded...
 
Dimitris

ha!...another boo boo.....realized i used 1/16 instead of 1/32 plank for the black strake, so i made a little tool to sand it down to 1/32.......had to cut the sanding sheet on the tool, a little narrower than the plank i was sanding, so i wouldn't sand into the wales............
    by the way, mabe 20 or more years ago i purchased 1/2 doz. metal carbide sanding sheets from sandvik, which were unbelievable helpful....haven't seen them since, and i'm still using them.....didn't sell enough i guess............
   hmmm....am amazed how well chuck designed the pieces for the stern galleries....considering the multitude of angles and shapes........somehow, i ended up building them a little higher than on the plans, another fubb.....guess i didn't get the sills in just the right place..an error yes, but in a way, it feels better visually......forgive me chuck:)
   really enjoying this kit fumbles or not........

Good morning shipmates, waiting for the resin to cure....I paint the bow rudder housing.
 
Cheers
Dimitris
 
 

The figurehead finishes the stem off beautifully Bob Wonderful carving Janos!!
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hello Mark , thank you for your nice comment and also for your like.
Nigel thank you for stopping by and also for your like.
 
Cheers
Dimitris

Hello,
 
just to show you that I'm hard working, here some pictures of the actual progress. It's harder then I thought, because you have to plan 3 steps in advance. After the ledges are installed you could't change nothing on deck.
 
Regards,
Siggi 

Hi All,
Quick update on building the frame. Got to the stage today where I thought I had completed all my cuts needed and was ready to start gluing. My bulkhead former was warped when unboxed and nothing I have done has completely removed it yet. This has been the case with both my A.L kits and I would say the warp has been formed by the shrinkwrap pulling the boards uneven when they pack'em. To combat this (& the fact my former is as floppy as a rag doll with all the extra cuts in it) I built a jig/clamp out of 1/2" MDF. Its an overkill i'm sure, but it was cheap and easy to make.

So I started with the blocks that rejoin the bulkhead former where I cut the channel for the propshaft. I also glued the two bulkheads that ran beside these blocks. Left it for an hour, and removed it from my jig, only to realise I hadn't cut my recesses for the servo's!! Bugger!! My first major mistake in only the first bit of gluing. I can only hope this is not a sign of things to come.
Here is the first bulkheads getting glued.


All but two bulkheads glued, and starting to add braces.

And here is how they line up with my rabbet (which isn't finished).

My glue should be dry on those last parts now, so I'm off to do some more.
Cheers, Scott.

Thanks for the likes everyone, and yes I hope I can keep you interested Don.
This far it only looks like I have butchered a good static model.
 
Next I had to start working out the available room on offer through the deck into cabins etc. This is to start planning the layout of the steam plant. I want to retain all the kits features and detail, including using the boats stack for the exhaust.
The plant will have an engine, boiler, condenser, butane tank and burner. I decided against finding room for a water tank and pump as I will refill by manual hand pump. I can't see myself running the thing for extended periods so it probably wont matter. The steam engine will consist of a twin cylinder, dual action, oscillating type, with the cylinders running back to back vertically. The boiler will be a horizontal job, using 68mm OD copper tube. I will decide if I go center flue or not later.
 
So first I dry fitted the skeleton and placed the sub deck onto it. I then built the base of the cabin assembly. This was only done with a light amount of white glue so I can disassemble and tweak later. I then planked the top with Myrtle. This was out of my hand-me-down stuff and stripped on a benchtop bandsaw. I simulated the chalking using linen paper glued to one edge. This was the result after a quick sand.

I also shaped a brace to go inside where the curve starts and this really helped keep the thing in shape nicely.

Then the unit was placed on the deck and the precut parts running back from this were slipped in place. When this assembly was done I could start to pencil some reference marks ready for cutting holes in the deck. The cutting was then done leaving plenty of meat around the edges for further removal later. I also opened out the rear of the cabin assembly into the area covered.


This gave me a nice indication of what I have to play with once the hull gets planked.
Now to searching for materials for building the steam plant and sourcing radio gear and servos.
Unfortunately, I see the biggest thing slowing this build is getting everything needed so I can fit things whilst it's easy. I know where two of the servos are getting mounted, and it will be simple to fit them now rather than later. The Admiral has put her foot down tho and limited how big and quick I can spend on this project (& any wise Man knows, you don't argue with the "Minister for war and finances"). 

Work on the head and the bowsprit rigging is now complete. Probably the most significant aspect of this work is the figurehead. As those who have followed this log will remember, I had reached a point of desperation at doing it. In a gesture that demonstrates both the wonderful nature of this site and his own incredible generosity, Janos offered to carve the figurehead for me from boxwood. The result is fantastic, and something that I could never hope to duplicate on my own. My gratitude is boundless. I must add that Sam Cassano, despite his illness, sent me a resin cast figurehead that he had done previously. Although it won't appear on the ship, I am thinking of ways to finish and mount it in the finished display case as a tribute to Sam's efforts on this model.
 
After mounting the figurehead, I completed the head by adding the boomkins and the iron railings and stanchions which had previously been made and fitted, but not installed. The railings and stanchions were made from wire. The boomkins were rigged with their shrouds after they were installed. I also added the eyebolts necessary to do rigging in this area.
 
Finally,I did the bobstays and the bowsprit shrouds.
 
Next up will be catharpins, futtock shrouds and (ugh!   ) ratlines.
 
Bob

Hello shipmates, the port side of the Vespucci is also applied with fiberglass and resin . Tomorrow I will sand the resin and after that I will apply another hand of resin. After that I will sand the second hand of resin and  I will apply grey car surface primer to spot if there are any imperfections.For the record I used 25 gr. of fiberglass and L&L resin ,(They say is no toxic but I used a mask anyway). The resin had 30 minutes work time. A friend of mine that builds r/c airplanes suggested this resin .
 
Cheers
Dimitris

I installed top mast stays and backstays. I had little fear of small mice, but in the end it went quite well. Now I await installation a lot of blocks to the top mast top area. There are many blocks in limited space.

Jeff, Row thanks for your comments, and to all who posted likes.
 
Spent some time today cutting up firewood so did not get as much time in the shop as I would have liked.
 
This evening I did manage to make a 75DP gear cutter took a long time to figure out how to hold the cutter in order to cut the gear using the shaping principles, the first attempt at making the tool to make the cutter I did not get the pins hard enough and the steel cutter blank damaged the pins so a second hardening did work. I rotated the pins to get a clean area for the tool.
 
The first gear blank turned out to be just some ground mild steel and did not harden at all. the second one was made from some 1/2 inch drill rod I also changed the type to an integrated shank and cutter.
 
The first pic shows the tool to make the cutter shaping the blank cutter.
 

 
the next shows the cutter after hardening and grinding the cutting face.
 

 
The next one is a quick test on some 3/8 diameter brass I just wanted to see how it cut this is a crude 30 tooth 75DP gear the final gear will need more care setting up the cutter to the tangent of the gear blank and the depth of cut will need proper measuring , but at least I know I can make one.
 
I still need to make a second cutter for the 60 tooth gear because the cutters are designed to cut a specific range, the one I made today is for gears ranging from 26 teeth to 34 teeth and is a number 4 cutter the other one is #2 cutter which has a range of 55 to 134 teeth.
 
Michael

Steve thanks.
 
I finished up the rough shaping and polished the long form then cut the sections down to the root diameter.The lift ended up being .021" I can live with that.
 

 

 
the root sections are machined to  .156" diameter
 

 
bored reamed to .125" and parted off ready for pin holes in the root sections
 

 
slipped onto the .125 shaft.
 
Michael
 
 

thanks evreyone for the encouragements.
 
The cam cutting is working well a little slow but I am pleased with the way it is shaping up.
 
I made a small indent pin for the Myford this morning before starting on the shaping.
 

 

 

 
the wheel was progressively marked with the teeth that would be left out until I got to the 1/2 way mark from both sides of the lobe apex
 

 
the cutter was rounded a bit more after this cut

 

 

 
Still .008" to go before the final clean up.
 
Michael

Thank you Nigel for nice words.
I can only agree with that

Excellent work Jeurgen Not the easiest of planks to clamp in position
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hello shipmates, the starboard of the ship is covered with fiber glass and resin . I upload some photos from the procedure. First of all i left the fiberglass on the ship for one night to take the shape of the ship. Today I applied the resin over the fiberglass. In some photos the reflections are from the resin and not bubbles on the fibeglass. Requirements are : A pair of gloves , glasses and mask.
 
Cheers
Dimitris

I continue with top masts, shrouds and ratlines. Work goes slower than I expected. But the model starts to increase in height.

I have fully sanded the deck smooth.After this,the deck was wiped with an extremely diluted mix of Liver of sulpur gel,http://www.metalclay.co.uk/patinas/,thiswas to take the shine off the copper,rather than turn it black,which a stronger mix would have done.It has removed the shine and darkened the copper ever so slightly.So far two coats of poly have been applied and the deck has been rubbed down ready for the third.
 
Happy New Year everyone
 
Nigel

Excellent question Crackers!!After studying the pics of the builders model on the NMM website,of which there are many,the following need addressing if you want a historically accurate model.The upper gunports are one too few and the spacing needs adjusting.The beakhead area and stern are completely wrong.Both of these areas are actually very complex and are described in John Franklin's Navy board models.The stern balcony is actually grated with the carvings acting as supporting'gussets'.This allows water to drain through.According to John Franklin.this is the only ship he was aware of with this arrangement.The beakhead also has a raised grated deck.I feel that to incorporate these details,Euromodels would have to have increased the price by a large amount.If Mordaunt cost more than Royal William,no one would buy the kit.So yes Van de Velde's pic is accurate.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I am building mine inline with Van de velde's work and the builders model.The gunport quantity position was already been addressed when I cut them.The stern balcony arrangement will be added when I add the stern framing.I never intended to build as Euromodel intended from the start.The actual hull shape is correct OOTB,the stern involves lengthening the hull sides by around 15mm above the counter.Tweaks have also been made to the sheer of the top edge of the hull.The hull around the beakhead is also correct,it is how this area is enclosed by the 'three step' arrangement each side that changes things.If your search 'Mordaunt 1681' on the NMM website,you will see all the pics which explain things clearer.The area under the foredeck is also enclosed,a curved bulkhead featuring belfry is missing from the Euromodel kit.
The bigger question is,which way are you going to build yours Crackers?
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel
 
P.S. I hope you start a log,kinda lonely being the Mordaunt builder on here

Excellent question Crackers!!After studying the pics of the builders model on the NMM website,of which there are many,the following need addressing if you want a historically accurate model.The upper gunports are one too few and the spacing needs adjusting.The beakhead area and stern are completely wrong.Both of these areas are actually very complex and are described in John Franklin's Navy board models.The stern balcony is actually grated with the carvings acting as supporting'gussets'.This allows water to drain through.According to John Franklin.this is the only ship he was aware of with this arrangement.The beakhead also has a raised grated deck.I feel that to incorporate these details,Euromodels would have to have increased the price by a large amount.If Mordaunt cost more than Royal William,no one would buy the kit.So yes Van de Velde's pic is accurate.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi,
Time to explain the work done to fit the prop-tube.
First I made some filler blocks to cover the cutout needed to run the tube. Then they were drilled whilst clamped to the keel so some 5/16 dowel could be used to locate the keel after cutting the tube slot. The keel was then cut to fit the tube. The cut then dropped lower and was run parallel to the bottom edge of the keel up to nearly the second bulkhead from the bow.
The blocks were fitted back to the keel (dry). This then gave me a slot that was wide enough in the keel to fit the tube, but the blocks needed a slight radius cut in them to accommodate the tube. So I pulled out a homemade reamer made for my other build.

It is machined from stainless steel and has a diameter of 5/16 to suit prop-tubes. The first 1" or so is reduced to the thickness of the keel and acts as a guide. Teeth were cut into the stepped face with a cutting saw in a Dremel. It requires a lot of chip clearing in use, but gives a much smoother safer finish than can be obtained with a drill or file. The bulkheads were fitted dry as I reamed the hole and this gave a nice neat hole for the tube.
Another problem with the tube is the diameter when it comes to the bearding line. The keel is 4mm ply and the tube 8mm. To solve this I machined an extended rear bearing out of solid bronze. This allowed me to increase the bearing area so the sides of the bearing can be faired with the keel. A small 5mm dia was machined on the end to aid with keeping things even when fairing (also to act as an end to the bearing where the prop will have contact).
Time will only tell if my ideas work. I am using a prop-shaft with a dia of 4mm, so I really cannot afford to fair the stern too much. I am also limited with how much room there is to fit the prop in between the stern and rudder post, so i have decided to not run a nut behind the prop. I hope this doesn't give me any issues down the track.

G'day All,
 
Here I am starting my second log and my first planked hull. This time I am going for a challenge by trying my hand at fitting a working steam engine and radio gear into what is a static model kit. Yes, I may be crazy trying this on only my second build (& the first isn't finished yet either)!! My choice for this comes from building stand alone steam engines, and wanting to take it a step further by adding the building of a boat to house one. My choice of kit came from being happy with my first kit from A.L, & the fact I fell in love with the shape of the hull on this tug.

Some background on myself, as I am newish to the site and probably should introduce myself.
I am a Fitter and Turner by trade, and have little patience for working with wood (yes, I think it's funny too).
I live down here in the lovely state of Tasmania in Australia and this gives me access to a wonderful selection of specialty timbers native to this area. I am also blessed with a hand-me-down collection of hard to get timber such as Tasmanian Huon Pine, Black Heart Sassafras, King-Billy Pine and Myrtle. I look to incorporate some of these into the ship.
I am married, with two daughters, one aged 4 yrs and the other 5 months. This means I spend a lot of time with my trusty hound (the only other male in the house) building things in my shed.
I work full time as a maintenance fitter and have too many hobbies. This may mean I get distracted for periods of time, working on other projects and I apologize now if I leave you waiting for updates from time to time.
 
O.K, Time to get started!
Some pics of the pre-cut parts.



My first step was to start working on making room in the hull for the go-bits.
This was a headache as the finished size of this model is about 600 mm (24") long and I am trying to fit lots in it.
I decided to use the cutout for the prop-tube to make a cut along the keel to help remove the unwanted framing material later. Then the necessary bulkheads were marked and cut on a scroll saw to aid removing the centers later.
I will try to let the pics tell the story as I am slow at typing and struggle to explain things sometimes.


Any questions on how or why I am doing things the way I am will be explained the best I can, so feel free to ask.
Cheers for now, Scott.

Hello Mike , thank you for visiting my build log . For now on I read some things and do some tests with fiberglass . When I'm ready to apply the fiberglass to the ship I will post photos from the whole process .
 
Regards
Dimitris