bdgiantman2

The Sphinx is getting her teeth now! Keep up the progress on your model, she is coming along!
 
Brian D

Great story, Brian! What an amazing experience, glad that you and your wife were able to reach out to those men at the museum like that and go behind the scenes. I am a little jealous, I confess -- LOL.
 
Question for you: Looking at the pictures provided of the grapeshot, I am guessing that they are eighteen inches to two feet in length and probably 6-8 inches in diameter??
 
Keep up this amazing model, you are doing a very accurate job and I enjoy following this thread.
 
Brian D.

The Sphinx is getting her teeth now! Keep up the progress on your model, she is coming along!
 
Brian D

The Sphinx is getting her teeth now! Keep up the progress on your model, she is coming along!
 
Brian D

Great story, Brian! What an amazing experience, glad that you and your wife were able to reach out to those men at the museum like that and go behind the scenes. I am a little jealous, I confess -- LOL.
 
Question for you: Looking at the pictures provided of the grapeshot, I am guessing that they are eighteen inches to two feet in length and probably 6-8 inches in diameter??
 
Keep up this amazing model, you are doing a very accurate job and I enjoy following this thread.
 
Brian D.

The Sphinx is getting her teeth now! Keep up the progress on your model, she is coming along!
 
Brian D

The galley stove turned out great, Mark.  Your model of Sphinx is looking great.

Thanks.    I am giving thought to 74 or maybe a razee.  I'm not minding this.  I just wish my new glasses were here and I could work longer.
I'm keeping that as an option just in case.   Once they have all the their wheels I'll put them into position and if needed, adjust accordingly.  

Mark, put in the quion. There is bound to be that "one" that will need it. Easier to do now than later.

Great story, Brian! What an amazing experience, glad that you and your wife were able to reach out to those men at the museum like that and go behind the scenes. I am a little jealous, I confess -- LOL.
 
Question for you: Looking at the pictures provided of the grapeshot, I am guessing that they are eighteen inches to two feet in length and probably 6-8 inches in diameter??
 
Keep up this amazing model, you are doing a very accurate job and I enjoy following this thread.
 
Brian D.

Hello again Everyone,
 
I don't have an update ready yet, but I do want to share a few pictures from my recent trip to Vicksburg NMP.
 
The admiral and I wanted to get away for the weekend, so on the spur of the moment we decided to go to Vicksburg. She didn't care where we went, as long as it was away. So, since I was needing more reference pictures for my build, I suggested Vicksburg and she agreed. Lucky me. 
 
The first day we spent the morning driving through the battlefield, looking at the monuments and taking in nature. By noon we had reached Cairo museum and I started snapping pictures. While we were touring the museum I got to talking to the Ranger at the desk about the boat and my build. I showed him some pictures that I had on my phone and then introduced him to my build log. He seemed genuinely fascinated by it and asked if he could show it to the powers that be. Of course I told him by all means. So while we were talking, I had noticed a couple of models on a shelf in the office behind the desk. I inquired about them and he said that they belonged to the Site Supervisor for the Cairo Museum, but he was off today and that he couldn't let me go back there to look at them. I understood, I wouldn't want some stranger wandering around my office while I wasn't there either. So we talked a little more, I thanked him for his time and we left. That night in the hotel, I was going through my pictures and realized that there were a few shots that I forgot to get. So I sweet talked the admiral into stopping by for a few more pictures. She was fine with that, she wanted to tour the National Cemetery just across from the Cairo exhibit any way. 
 
The next day, I managed to get the shots that I needed and we moved over the cemetery. We walked around there for an hour and a half or so until it started to get hot. We were getting ready to leave, but needed a restroom break before getting under way. As we were literally walking out the door of the museum, we bumped into the Site Supervisor Ray Hamel. We started chatting and I asked him about the models in his office and he was more than happy to let me come back there and take a look at them. They ended up being the Cottage Industries USS Cairo & CSS Arkansas. We got to talking about my build and that we had come here to do a little more research on some areas that I was having problems with. 
 
That was when my day really got good. Ray then asked if we had some time to take a walk with him. Well of course I wasn't going to refuse, so we set out on what ended up as what I would call a VIP tour.  We went down stairs from his office to the air handler/storage room. This is where they keep a few overflow items that didn't make it to the actual artifact storage facility. Once we got down stairs I was totally in heaven. You may recall that at one time the admiral said I looked happier than a toddler with a lollipop, well at this point I was even happier, like a toddler with a box of lollipops. In the storage room were hundreds of cannon balls and projectiles recovered from the wreck, Stacked all over the floor. There were also other artifacts such as a box of coal, timbers from the hurricane deck and other odds and ends. I asked to take pictures, which he said I could and not to push my luck, but asked him if I could handle some of the artifacts. He allowed that as well.
 
Some 8" & 32lb cannon balls.

 
32lb cannon ball.

 
42lb projectiles and Grape Shot


Grape Shot

 
30lb Parrot Rifle projectiles

 
A couple of different 42lb projectiles.


 
Gun Port Doors


 
Box of coal. From what Ray told me, the coal was loaded on board in big chunks like this and then broken up before being shoveled into the firebox.

 
A few other artifacts

 
Playing around with a few pine wood fabric pieces that survived. 

 
One of the knee braces still attached to one of the stanchions.

 
More of the stanchions and pieces of the hammock rails

 
After I was done perusing through the room of artifacts, Ray asked if I wanted to go see the boilers? Again this was an offer I just couldn't refuse. So we proceeded through the next tunnel in the room to the lower level of the outside display. Now I was happier than a toddler with a whole case of lollipops.

 
Take a mental note of my left hand in this picture and file it away for a moment. I'll explain this in a bit, but let me tell you I was buzzing with excitement.

Ray was kind enough to let me explore the entire boat and take as many pictures as I wanted.
 
Boilers & Mud Drum

 


Paddlewheel

 

 

 

 
Port Engine

 
Starboard Engine

 
Port Rudder

 

 
Starboard lower armor plating.

 

 
Starboard hull bottom. 

 
Waterway wall, Starboard side. These boards were in relatively good shape compared to some of the others. This area was buried in the mud for the longest period of time.
 
 
Torpedo damage and bow area.

 



 

 
The bow area. One thing that I missed on my build that I am going to have to go back and make is the bow reinforcement plate. I will have to go back and look at the documentation, but I don't recall any mention of it. Either way it is there and I will get it added. This plate was used to protect the stem timbers from shoreline rocks as well as taking out any makeshift bridges that were built across the rivers these boats were patrolling. I can't believe that I missed this part.

 

 

 

 
I was trying to get a look at how far back the bow plate goes, but the supports cover most of it, making it impossible to see. I do know that it goes back at least 10' or so along the center keel from what I can tell.

I was ordered by the admiral to post at least one picture of my mug in front of the boat. Just because.

 
What an exciting tour this was, and Ray was very informative. Some of the topics that we discussed we the slow decay of the original wood fabric and how the Polyethelene Glycol (PEG) that they use to treat and preserve the wood is doing a lot of harm to it as well. Unfortunately budget concerns have also limited the treatments, with the last one being in 2013, whereas before they were every four or five years. He also told me that he has submitted several proposals for an enclosed, environmentally controlled facility to house the boat in that will help protect it and make it last longer. He said a few years ago that he was close to having one proposal passed, but funding was pulled just before being pushed through. It's a shame that a rare, beautiful piece of history is slowly deteriorating and the government wont step in and help preserve it. There are only four ACW Iron Clads still in existence, Cairo being the most intact one. You'd think that it would be somewhat of a priority to help save it. Fortunately, there are a few groups out there doing what they can to help see that the ship doesn't completely fall apart, one of the being the Friends of Vicksburg group.
 
Other topics that we discussed were the positioning of the skylights, and the fact that the original drawings from the 1981 HSR do not show that there were also skylights (hatchways) amid ship and at the aft of the Hurricane deck. This proves my theory and research that I was correct with the placement of my hatchways between the hog chain support posts and that the two on the back just above the aft guns are also there (these are visible on the old photos of the St. Louis, Carondelet, Cincinnati and Mound City, but more on that when I post an update). Also, he did confirm that the hammock nets on Cairo were indeed constructed of wood, no netting. Some of the remains were in an above picture, along with the stanchions. Great information to make sure that I get my build as true to the original as I can. 
 
So, once were were done with the tour, we went back to Ray's office where he wanted to give me a card and his cell number to give him a call if I had any other questions. As a second souvenir he gave me a piece of coal that was recovered from the boat.
 
Oh, going back to the picture I said to take a note of. While we were talking, shortly before the admiral took that picture, We were discussing the slow deterioration of the wood. Ray looked down and saw that a small piece of the wood hull had fallen off the boat onto the ground. He picked it up and aske me if I wanted it, my first souvenir. So now I am happier than a toddler that owns a lollipop factory. And again, I didn't refuse his offer. That is what I am holding in my left hand.
 
So now my new pride and joys are here:

 
They may not be much, but to actually have a piece of the boat, just brings joy to my heart. I am currently looking into how to preserve the wood fragments from further deteriorating and I think I'm going to incorporate them and the coal nugget into the display.
 
Anyway, hope you enjoyed my story and that I wasn't too long winded. I should have an update on the build in a few days.
 
Thanks for stopping by.
 
-Brian
 

Still slogging away at the coal face, so to speak.   Waiting for the new glasses but still working.   Currently I'm at the gun building stage.  Work maybe 15 minutes then back off and rest the eyes for a bit.  Definitely some fiddly bits.   Anyway, below is a photo.  I have one finished and ready to go as it was my test.   I'm now doing a production line.... assemble gun and carriage, next shape axes, install the cross bar and eyebots and finally the wheels.  So, currently shaping the axles at this point.  As this point, I'm unsure if the quion will be needed as my first one looks good in all ports without it.
 

I used to live in San Diego, I was in East Central San Diego -- the La Mesa and El Cajon areas.  An uncle lives in the Escondido area. While I was in San Diego I used to be with the San Diego Maritime Museum. the model shop was always my favorite part. The club at the San Diego Maritime Museum is good if you want to drive there, have meetings on Tuesday nights. Long Beach has a good model club if you want to drive up there also.

I used to live in San Diego, I was in East Central San Diego -- the La Mesa and El Cajon areas.  An uncle lives in the Escondido area. While I was in San Diego I used to be with the San Diego Maritime Museum. the model shop was always my favorite part. The club at the San Diego Maritime Museum is good if you want to drive there, have meetings on Tuesday nights. Long Beach has a good model club if you want to drive up there also.

I used to live in San Diego, I was in East Central San Diego -- the La Mesa and El Cajon areas.  An uncle lives in the Escondido area. While I was in San Diego I used to be with the San Diego Maritime Museum. the model shop was always my favorite part. The club at the San Diego Maritime Museum is good if you want to drive there, have meetings on Tuesday nights. Long Beach has a good model club if you want to drive up there also.

Welcome to this group, sir, and thank you for your service. Which part of Southern California are you from if I may ask?

Welcome to this group, sir, and thank you for your service. Which part of Southern California are you from if I may ask?

Welcome to this group, sir, and thank you for your service. Which part of Southern California are you from if I may ask?

I'm being able to find time to get back working on Winnie,  so a  small update is due, sanding the hull continues, I keep finding areas that need a better finish. 

I have started to fit the wales, hopefully she will look better and more shipshape when these are finished and painted.
With hindsight I wish I'd ordered some of Vahur's lovely black hornbeam for the wales. 
Thanks for your continued support everyone. 
Also for the likes.
Cheers 
 

Here's my attempt at a new manufacturing technique for the sails.  I wanted to get something resembling the first pic below, which is a painting of the razee version of the Independence.  For the sails in my previous bottle builds, I cut the sails out of muslin and glued on thread for bolt ropes and panel seams (2nd pic).  For this build, I wanted a better look for the bolt ropes.  Also, instead of highlighting the panel seams, I wanted the reef bands to be more prominent like they are in the razee painting. 
 
Sooooo.  I dug out the seldom used sewing machine from the bottom of the closet to see if I could overcome my pathetic sewing skills and make some better looking sails.  I tried a bunch of different things and finally settled on regular thread and a very narrow zigzag stitch for the bolt ropes and a straight stitch with fly tying thread for the reef bands.  I did ok at sewing straight lines but, as you can see, I had some difficulties turning a smooth curve in such a tight space for the bottom of the square sails.  They did not come out perfect, but I like them better than the glue-on thing I was doing before.           

Hello Friends, and Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday to all of you.
 
I am finally able to post again on my blog. After a rollercoaster employment situation since the end of last year, I am back on my feet with steady income and been able to splurge a little too. I am back to the Eagle.
 
So I have been working slower than evolution it feels on the rib sections of the Eagle.  I have made the first ribs of the model, it turns out joint Frames 7-8 and not X as had originally thought it was. Placing the frame on the model I see that I need to do more trimming both inside and outside. It was the inside part giving me the most trouble. Also apparently the rib is too thick even though I am using 3/16 thick boards as drawings indicate. In trying to get the insides of the ribs better I have found two issues. First I rigged one of my Dremel units to a router tabletop and tried using it as a spindle sander. Took too little off and wasn't effective. I knew would need something bigger with more bite to it. So after researching I bought a Wen Spindle sander with an angled top. It arrived today and I eagerly tested it. This machine is a BEAST!!  Made substantial progress compared to the Dremel, going to need to trim more with scroll saw first and get closer before I use the Spindle sander again -- I left too much meat on the bones. Also in the meantime I have been construction of several futtock pieces that have yet to have rest of frames glued on.
 
And following some ideas from the Winnie projects, I have ordered some supplies from CraftySailor which should be arriving next week.

The last two items to address are the gangway and the ladder going up to it.  The gangway is comprised of a frame of wood, secured to the bulwark with knees (two of them are visible in this cross section).  The frame is then planked.  I initially misinterpreted the drawing in the practicum and installed a stanchion between the deck and gangway.  The location made no sense to me as it would have been in the way of the gun.  The stanchion is actually between the gangway and the rail connecting it with the quarter deck.


The rail was somewhat tricky to make; it is curved in two directions.  There is a "fork" between the rail and the upper quarter deck rail stanchion and a tenon through which the gangway stanchion inserts.  When I made this rail, I thought I was using castelo.  After a coat of finish, it was apparent that this was pear.  After these photos were taken, I removed the rail and made a new one from castelo.  



The last thing to make was the ladder.  Echo is officially finished.  All that remains is to clean her up, and decide how I want to mount her.  


 
 
 

This is an amazing model! It shows what you can do with outstanding craftsmanship, artistic talent, and a good sense for innovation!
 
Thomas

Hello Friends, and Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday to all of you.
 
I am finally able to post again on my blog. After a rollercoaster employment situation since the end of last year, I am back on my feet with steady income and been able to splurge a little too. I am back to the Eagle.
 
So I have been working slower than evolution it feels on the rib sections of the Eagle.  I have made the first ribs of the model, it turns out joint Frames 7-8 and not X as had originally thought it was. Placing the frame on the model I see that I need to do more trimming both inside and outside. It was the inside part giving me the most trouble. Also apparently the rib is too thick even though I am using 3/16 thick boards as drawings indicate. In trying to get the insides of the ribs better I have found two issues. First I rigged one of my Dremel units to a router tabletop and tried using it as a spindle sander. Took too little off and wasn't effective. I knew would need something bigger with more bite to it. So after researching I bought a Wen Spindle sander with an angled top. It arrived today and I eagerly tested it. This machine is a BEAST!!  Made substantial progress compared to the Dremel, going to need to trim more with scroll saw first and get closer before I use the Spindle sander again -- I left too much meat on the bones. Also in the meantime I have been construction of several futtock pieces that have yet to have rest of frames glued on.
 
And following some ideas from the Winnie projects, I have ordered some supplies from CraftySailor which should be arriving next week.

A snow day here in Denver, so am spending some time doing ship building. Yesterday we had nice weather, so I took the time to cut out the remaining keel pieces of the bow. These are in Boxwood like the rest of the keel. I did not take any pictures of the loose pieces, unfortunately. Then last night I started gluing some of the pieces together, and then attached those to the rest of the keel. There are still two more parts to glue on.  This is how she sits right now. The rib you see is Frame X and is not attached but just sitting in the jig, further aft of where supposed to be. Also the Transom piece sitting above the sternpost is not glued down yet. But I may be attaching two of the taffrail pieces in the near future.  I am waiting on that transom piece until after I can get the rabbet made in about two weeks.
 
Earlier this month I was browsing around on YouTube and happened upon a fascinating documentary about The War of 1812. During the documentary, the narrator was sharing excerpts written by Theodore Roosevelt (pre-presidency, as he was only 23 at the time), who was a history buff especially concerning this war and wrote a book about it still in publication and use today. Roosevelt wrote, "It will always be a source of surprise that the American public should have so glorified Perry's victory over an inferior force, and have paid comparatively little attention to McDonough's victory, which really was won against decided odds in ships, men, and metal.... Lake Erie teaches us the advantage of of having the odds on our side; Lake Champlain, that, even if they are not, skill can counteract them."