Cathead
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Keith, great to see you getting "a head" on this model... Question about the engine maintenance doors: I'm curious why you chose vertical ones rather than the horizontal hatches common on many steamboats (since they provide full lengthwise access along the engines' horizontal extent in tight spaces). Not implying you should re-do it, just legitimately interested in the design discussion. See below drawing of Bertrand for an example of what I mean. And it just occurred to me that you could still add a version of these forward of each vertical door, if you wanted. Would add even more visual interest to the engine room walls.
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That's a great read, thanks!
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Not just a long-ago problem. I based my 1850s steamboat Arabia in part on a modern painting of the vessel (artist's interpretation since no contemporary images exist), and while the guy is a wonderful historic artist, he's not a steamboat expert and there are a few blatant errors including one almost M.C. Escher level one that can't work in the real world even though it looks nice on canvas. All part of the fun of recreating history from art!
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It means a lot to see you able to return to this project. Thanks for keeping us a part of it.
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Keith, you owe me a new thesaurus, mine broke when I tried to come up with proper new praise for your work.
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On an American riverboat it'd go main deck, boiler deck (the one above the boilers, don't ask why), hurricane deck, Texas deck, with the pilot house on top.
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Between your project and Keith's, I think I'm retiring from steamboat building. The bar has been set too high, LOL.
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I prefer sternwheelers too. Three of my four steamboat builds have been sternwheelers and the only exception was because Arabia was too good a local project to pass up.
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I should be used to your standard of work by now, but my jaw literally dropped when I saw that wheel. Better than any I've ever built and in a much smaller scale. Just fantastic.
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Given that those are listed as stanchions with one hole, I'd bet they'd work just fine as long as the vertical dimension is correct. And I'd agree they look better than pins.
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I can't tell what you're showing in photo 2, so have no way to answer whether that item has a hole in it or whether it would work. I assume it's some kind of after-market product you found online? More context would really help with offering advice. As a broader answer, this kit makes a nice-looking model but it isn't even remotely accurate as a scale model of a Mississippi riverboat. So you're free to choose whatever visual theme looks best to you, and if you like the look of the item in photo 2, you should feel free to use it (assuming it's physically capable of the role).
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Ugh, so sorry to hear of your rotten health luck lately. I'm sure the "bum wing" doesn't make caregiving any easier. Hang in there, even one-armed, and look forward to better days soon.
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That's glorious!
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I agree with the other suggestions above: make sure you're done working with the metal piece, clean it well and handle it carefully, abrade the surface, and consider using a primer first. The biggest difference I've seen with Model Shipways paint vs. other brands is the former tends to be much thicker. This isn't necessarily bad, for example it makes a solid coat on things like metal and plastic when using a brush, where thinner paints sometimes don't coat easily. I'd also suggest, as in so many cases, practicing on some scrap material first to see what methods produce the best result. Brass blackening agents work very well, and I've also had success using a blackener followed by a coat of paint. But a warning: blackeners are fairly strong chemical agents and they will produce fumes; not something to use lightly in your living room or a confined workspace. Consider doing blackening in a garage or outdoors setting where the fumes can dissipate while you're not around. I've gotten multiple headaches from being around blackening fumes even for a short time.
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All my models have customized iron deposits as well. A sign of dedication.
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We've finished ours, and it's been really cool to see how Lego has adapted so many pieces from other kits to produce surprisingly good feature on this one. There are a lot of really well thought-out details.
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Lynn, a trick I sometimes use when trying to drill a difficult hole, is to drill a small pilot hole with a much smaller bit and then follow up with the actual larger bit. What this does is help guide the real bit not to jump or skate around as you get started. The tiny bit is easier to hold in place as it gets going. You can also try making a dimple in the material with some kind of sharp object (like a nail) that will also help hold the bit's tip in place while it gets started. It's easier to "punch" a dimple into metal than it is to get a spinning drill bit to stay exactly where it's put on a smooth surface. This is even helpful when combined with the small pilot hole trick.
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Keith, I love that re-pairing of the model's status and the original photo. Shows how well you're adapting the original design to your own vision. Just awesome.
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Since Keith mentioned it, for those interested, there are more photos from the Arabia museum in the model's pre-build research/design thread. https://modelshipworld.com/topic/15945-designing-a-model-of-the-1856-missouri-river-steamboat-arabia/
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For a "below average modeler" you sure turned out a snazzy model! I'm so glad you stuck with it and shared the journey with us. This is definitely one to be proud of and display prominently. I definitely agree on the time limit issue; I too find that my mind and hands go stale after doing any one thing too long. Again, congratulations on a job so well done. I'll miss following along.
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Keith, do you want some actual coal for your coal bin? At your scale, I could send you a tiny packet of crushed coal in a normal envelope. As you likely recall from Peerless, we have coal on our property and it wouldn't take long to crush some down for you. No worries if not, just a fun thought!
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Looks like you have a good setup!
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The storm was something of a fizzle in our part of central Missouri. 4-6" of dry snow (instead of the forecast 6-12" on top of heavy sleet), no meaningful ice, really nothing unusual. Seems it was much worse in both St. Louis and Kansas City, along with ice down in the eastern Ozarks. Hope you're well out in the harder hit western area.
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Keith, here's another source of inspiration for a steamboat hand pump. This simple pump was used on Arabia to prime her doctor engine, and as a general-purpose pump for other low-pressure needs. It sat right next to the main boiler. This is from an earlier era (1856) but might still be of interest. Here's the original (my photo from the museum in Kansas City): And here's how I recreated it at 1:64: And in position on the model:
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Lynn, so great to see you back, we'd all worried when you went silent. I've used both needle threaders and the glue method to good effect. A bit of practice and I bet you'll get the hang of either. As another Missouri resident, we're going to get slammed this weekend, so good luck staying warm and safe.
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