Cathead

Couple more items completed.  Forward deck hatches.

 
Deep sea sounding wench.  Does anyone know if they stored the rope on the wench, or just attached it when in use?  Instructions don't show any rope on the wench, and its hard to find any images of deep sea wenches of the period.  I think it would look good with some rope wrapped around the drum.

Seems to me the builder is free to use whatever methods he feels most comfortable with, unless he's aiming for a specific contest standard. And I don't see any functional problem with his choices that would require warning or criticism (as opposed to, say, using wood glue to bond metal parts or something, which actually might require a gentle nudge of advice).
 
And plastic is already becoming quite common through the use of 3D printed parts. There are fair perspectives for and against this, but it seems a touch rude to  imply that the builder here is somehow diminishing wooden ship modeling by using a few plastic parts for clearly explained reasons, especially in a thread where the builder and others have already shared stories of overly critical commenters demeaning their work.

Wefalck, I don't have any kind of lathe. In theory I know what you mean, but I wasn't up for trying the old electric drill lathe trick, at least not until all other options had been exhausted.
 
As it turned out, Brian's method of using cardstock worked like a charm. Much better than the styrene I was trying to use, which didn't want to bend properly and was too thick (the joint stood out like a sore thumb). First I figured out what outside radius I wanted and looked for something to use as a pattern. Turns out a spool of cheap rigging thread from a former kit was perfect. So I traced that outline onto some paper, then traced the inner outline around the right size of brass tubing. This is a basic index card.

Notice that I was sneaky here and folded the stock over to get two comparable discs. Some previous experimentation had convinced me that one layer wasn't stiff enough. So I used the kindergarten trick and cut two out together, making their boundaries more consistent than trying to cut them out separately.

I could have glued the two halves together before cutting, but intentionally didn't. I thought that would make the overlapping joint too thick (more noticeable) and also make the stock stiffer and harder to bend (why the styrene wasn't working). So I spread some glue on one end of the ring, then formed it around the brass tube until I had the angle I wanted:

When both were independently glued up, I smeared glue on one whole surface and sandwiched them together. This worked great, giving me a stiffer final result with the appearance of a single layer (finer joint). I then painted them with thick black paint, which when dry stiffened them even further.
 

And here they are test-fit on the model. Much better than anything I'd tried before. Lots of internet points for Brian! Any card modelers reading this are shaking their heads and thinking "we could have told you that!".
 



Thanks for the advice! Even when I don't take it or go a different way, it makes me think and helps me learn. Next I need to start laying out the rest of the main cabin, and/or laying out the support posts for the hog chains. We'll see what I feel like doing when I next have time to work on this. 
 
 

That's not me, that's Liteflight. I accept no responsibility for him . . . 
 
The wide stance is well on the way . . .
 


Here's close-ups on their faces.


Steven

Yes, I also found the need to adjust a few. It's likely that'll occur in any kit, so it ends up being part of the learning experience. Nice work so far!
 
 
For what it's worth, Toni is a woman.

Yes, the drawings are detailed in some respects and vague in others.  They are copies of the designer's originals that were used in the construction of three individual boats.  The intended users of these drawings were professional boat builders and consequently exhaustive details are not offered.  Details that a modeler would love to see. 
 
 
This question stings because I agonized over the decision to not build this boat in a larger scale with one side of the hull fully exposing the entire below deck arrangement.  Fully framed with every possible detail shown.  But I chickened out, so no, there'll be no need to build the engine.  Thanks Richard.
 
 
Yes, the boat is about 79' and in 1:48 that's just under 20".  Not huge by any means, but the largest boat I've built.  Thanks Marc.
 
And thank you Rick for the nice comment.
 
Gary    

Wefalck, I don't have any kind of lathe. In theory I know what you mean, but I wasn't up for trying the old electric drill lathe trick, at least not until all other options had been exhausted.
 
As it turned out, Brian's method of using cardstock worked like a charm. Much better than the styrene I was trying to use, which didn't want to bend properly and was too thick (the joint stood out like a sore thumb). First I figured out what outside radius I wanted and looked for something to use as a pattern. Turns out a spool of cheap rigging thread from a former kit was perfect. So I traced that outline onto some paper, then traced the inner outline around the right size of brass tubing. This is a basic index card.

Notice that I was sneaky here and folded the stock over to get two comparable discs. Some previous experimentation had convinced me that one layer wasn't stiff enough. So I used the kindergarten trick and cut two out together, making their boundaries more consistent than trying to cut them out separately.

I could have glued the two halves together before cutting, but intentionally didn't. I thought that would make the overlapping joint too thick (more noticeable) and also make the stock stiffer and harder to bend (why the styrene wasn't working). So I spread some glue on one end of the ring, then formed it around the brass tube until I had the angle I wanted:

When both were independently glued up, I smeared glue on one whole surface and sandwiched them together. This worked great, giving me a stiffer final result with the appearance of a single layer (finer joint). I then painted them with thick black paint, which when dry stiffened them even further.
 

And here they are test-fit on the model. Much better than anything I'd tried before. Lots of internet points for Brian! Any card modelers reading this are shaking their heads and thinking "we could have told you that!".
 



Thanks for the advice! Even when I don't take it or go a different way, it makes me think and helps me learn. Next I need to start laying out the rest of the main cabin, and/or laying out the support posts for the hog chains. We'll see what I feel like doing when I next have time to work on this. 
 
 

Surprise! The model is finished. I got wrapped up in finishing it and kinda lost interest in documentation along the way. I'm actually pretty pleased with the result, some serious sanding and multiple coats of wood oil really brought out the colors and contrasts in the walnut, maple, and cherry. I painted the exposed basswood keel black since it didn't look right raw against the nicer woods. The maple had some really interesting patterning that adds a lot of visual interest.
 

 
For mounting, I dug out a slab of walnut from my wood shop with an interesting fault at one corner, and used a hand planer and orbital sander to smooth its face. It has a strong cup to it that I couldn't quite remove, meaning that the model doesn't sit quite flat against it, but this is only noticeable at close range and I don't really care. I glued some thick blocks between the model's framing and then screwed the hull to the mounting board from the back.
 
I made a nameplate from maple, had my wife hand-letter it since she's better at that than me, and attached it using several small magnets. This way, if the model ever gets remounted, the nameplate can go with it. Here are a few more photos:
 

 

 

 
This is a gift for my stepfather, now in his 70s, who has been a woodworker his whole life and is a true artisan in wood. I learned what skills I have, along with a love for building in wood, from him. He loves boats and fishing, and recently built his first wooden boat. The photo below shows us with that vessel in his small woodshop, where he still builds beautiful frames and other creations for sale at various art shows. He's never done model work and is fascinated by my projects, so this gift is pretty meaningful for me to give back to him.
 

 
I shipped it off today (he's ~900 miles away in rural Western New York), since I won't be traveling for Christmas. Looking forward to his reaction when he opens it. The model wouldn't win any awards for pure craftsmanship, I can see its flaws as much as anyone, but it's attractive and interesting and will look great on his wall. 
 
Thanks for reading this log. It's probably not been the greatest resource for others who want to do this project, but I do recommend the kit as a great way to learn and practice planking skills. Making the wood myself had a serious learning curve that I hope to draw from in future, but I'm not sure how to convey those lessons in a way that would be useful to others (other than that a thickness sander or other way to ensure plank thickness would have been very helpful). Thanks to Toni and the NRG for developing this kit; my next project will be its cousin, the scratchbuilt capstan, for further practice in making and using my own wood.

So here's what the new stacks look like. Still not attached permanently so don't worry about their exact orientation.
 

I still have to figure out how to make the little rain shields (I assume that's what they are) that sit between the chimneys and the broader heat shields; you can see them clearly in this image:

I've tried a few things and none have looked good.
 
On to the pilot house. Here's a bit more progress, showing the ubiquitous wood stove in the corner, and the back wall added.
 


This had an unusual window pattern that you can see here:

 
And some rafters added:
 

Better late than never, I added some hardware to the bottom of the hull so the model could be bolted down to a base if desired. I should have done this much sooner, and now was the last chance while I could reasonably work on it upside down (before more delicate structures were added).

That's all for now, but it's progress. Thanks so much for sticking with me!

Wefalck, I don't have any kind of lathe. In theory I know what you mean, but I wasn't up for trying the old electric drill lathe trick, at least not until all other options had been exhausted.
 
As it turned out, Brian's method of using cardstock worked like a charm. Much better than the styrene I was trying to use, which didn't want to bend properly and was too thick (the joint stood out like a sore thumb). First I figured out what outside radius I wanted and looked for something to use as a pattern. Turns out a spool of cheap rigging thread from a former kit was perfect. So I traced that outline onto some paper, then traced the inner outline around the right size of brass tubing. This is a basic index card.

Notice that I was sneaky here and folded the stock over to get two comparable discs. Some previous experimentation had convinced me that one layer wasn't stiff enough. So I used the kindergarten trick and cut two out together, making their boundaries more consistent than trying to cut them out separately.

I could have glued the two halves together before cutting, but intentionally didn't. I thought that would make the overlapping joint too thick (more noticeable) and also make the stock stiffer and harder to bend (why the styrene wasn't working). So I spread some glue on one end of the ring, then formed it around the brass tube until I had the angle I wanted:

When both were independently glued up, I smeared glue on one whole surface and sandwiched them together. This worked great, giving me a stiffer final result with the appearance of a single layer (finer joint). I then painted them with thick black paint, which when dry stiffened them even further.
 

And here they are test-fit on the model. Much better than anything I'd tried before. Lots of internet points for Brian! Any card modelers reading this are shaking their heads and thinking "we could have told you that!".
 



Thanks for the advice! Even when I don't take it or go a different way, it makes me think and helps me learn. Next I need to start laying out the rest of the main cabin, and/or laying out the support posts for the hog chains. We'll see what I feel like doing when I next have time to work on this. 
 
 

Wefalck, I don't have any kind of lathe. In theory I know what you mean, but I wasn't up for trying the old electric drill lathe trick, at least not until all other options had been exhausted.
 
As it turned out, Brian's method of using cardstock worked like a charm. Much better than the styrene I was trying to use, which didn't want to bend properly and was too thick (the joint stood out like a sore thumb). First I figured out what outside radius I wanted and looked for something to use as a pattern. Turns out a spool of cheap rigging thread from a former kit was perfect. So I traced that outline onto some paper, then traced the inner outline around the right size of brass tubing. This is a basic index card.

Notice that I was sneaky here and folded the stock over to get two comparable discs. Some previous experimentation had convinced me that one layer wasn't stiff enough. So I used the kindergarten trick and cut two out together, making their boundaries more consistent than trying to cut them out separately.

I could have glued the two halves together before cutting, but intentionally didn't. I thought that would make the overlapping joint too thick (more noticeable) and also make the stock stiffer and harder to bend (why the styrene wasn't working). So I spread some glue on one end of the ring, then formed it around the brass tube until I had the angle I wanted:

When both were independently glued up, I smeared glue on one whole surface and sandwiched them together. This worked great, giving me a stiffer final result with the appearance of a single layer (finer joint). I then painted them with thick black paint, which when dry stiffened them even further.
 

And here they are test-fit on the model. Much better than anything I'd tried before. Lots of internet points for Brian! Any card modelers reading this are shaking their heads and thinking "we could have told you that!".
 



Thanks for the advice! Even when I don't take it or go a different way, it makes me think and helps me learn. Next I need to start laying out the rest of the main cabin, and/or laying out the support posts for the hog chains. We'll see what I feel like doing when I next have time to work on this. 
 
 

Thank you for asking, Gary. 
 
 She's slowly getting better. It's not fast and furious but at times she's walking about the house independent of her walker and she's gaining some mobility in her left hand. Her mouth on the left side is still not cooperating like it needs to and seems to be that which is lagging the furthest behind in improvement, this affects her eating and speaking.
 
 Whereas with myself, life is moving at a fast and furious pace. It's one thing or another from 8 AM till 9 PM everyday. I wish I was younger, I wish I was a better cook, I wish a lot of things but it is what it is and one gets through this one hour at a time, one day at a time. 
 
 Thank you again, Gary and thank you to all of you for your continued prayers. The answer to prayer is the only reason we've made it this far!
 
 Keith

Hello Keith.  How is Maggie's recovery progressing and how are you holding up?
 
Gary

Hi, I haven't posted in some time.
 
This is due to me procrastinating when I should take photos. In the last weeks, I worked on many different small thing on the deck. They didn't seem like worthwhile to make à post about. But when you add them up together, it makes a good chunk to show and talk about.
 
First, I made the rails with eyebolts and rope. It was quite tricky to get the knot at the right place for it to be tight. I also glued the back catheads after removing the char and making pulley holes in them. 

 

 

 
Then, I secured the launch to to deck, and I'm pretty happy about how that turned out. I was unsure about the rope placement after its knot to the eyebolt. I could have done concentric rings of leftover rope, but it looked weird. I chose to leave it clean after the knot.
 

 

 
 As you might already have seen through the earlier photos, I made all the ladders, but I opted to leave them unpainted. I find it too Tricky to paint in all those tiny areas between the steps and I felt like this brass color fits the overall deck ensemble pretty well.
 
After that, I focused on the water pumps. I wanted to give an iron look but I failed and it looks too shiny and plastic. Still, it doesn't look too bad.
 

 

 
To finish off, I nailed the chain plates along the sides. To do that I placed temporarly the masts to get their angle right.
 

 
 
I almost forgot, I also installed the chains at the stern, which drove me crazy. They were so fiddly and kept jumping off from my twizzers.  I lost 3 links and for a good 20 minutes I thought the carpet monster had stolen them but after a while, I found them at the complete opposite side of the room where I thought they were.  Those efforts were rewarded because in the end,  they look great.
 

 

 

 
 
Thanks for following along guys. The next update will be about the storage compartments on the deck and maybe something else.
 
Patrick

Not a ton of progress this week.  I did finish fashioning and installing the boarding ladders and channels though.  I must say ripping the boards by hand out of sheet stock to make these parts is a bit of a pain in the rear.  lol.  Also, it was tough getting the pattern cut into the scraper to make the boarding ladder profile.  I think my limitation there was my lack of precise small files.  I deliberately made the filed notches in the channels that will house the chainplates narrower than they'll be.  I just wanted to get the notches placed correctly and the angles in, according to the plans.  I'll finish the notches up when I fit and attach the chainplates.
 
And lastly, I'm patting myself on the back.  My third photo below manages to capture the elusive and hard to photograph lower step of the Cheerful's boarding ladder (located on the wale and painted black).  Haha!
 
Erik

After framing the gun and sweep ports I found there was a gap between the plank sheer where the gun ports were and the edge of the frames. Filled this in with some thin bits of wood then sanded to ensure smoother fit once the first two hull planks were attached. you can see the result below on the outside edges of the cannon ports.
 

That would make sense, Mark. And the helmsmen will have a wider stance, if only to make sure they can stand upright on the deck without having to have one of those ghastly flat stands attached to their feet .
 
Steven

Wefalck, I don't have any kind of lathe. In theory I know what you mean, but I wasn't up for trying the old electric drill lathe trick, at least not until all other options had been exhausted.
 
As it turned out, Brian's method of using cardstock worked like a charm. Much better than the styrene I was trying to use, which didn't want to bend properly and was too thick (the joint stood out like a sore thumb). First I figured out what outside radius I wanted and looked for something to use as a pattern. Turns out a spool of cheap rigging thread from a former kit was perfect. So I traced that outline onto some paper, then traced the inner outline around the right size of brass tubing. This is a basic index card.

Notice that I was sneaky here and folded the stock over to get two comparable discs. Some previous experimentation had convinced me that one layer wasn't stiff enough. So I used the kindergarten trick and cut two out together, making their boundaries more consistent than trying to cut them out separately.

I could have glued the two halves together before cutting, but intentionally didn't. I thought that would make the overlapping joint too thick (more noticeable) and also make the stock stiffer and harder to bend (why the styrene wasn't working). So I spread some glue on one end of the ring, then formed it around the brass tube until I had the angle I wanted:

When both were independently glued up, I smeared glue on one whole surface and sandwiched them together. This worked great, giving me a stiffer final result with the appearance of a single layer (finer joint). I then painted them with thick black paint, which when dry stiffened them even further.
 

And here they are test-fit on the model. Much better than anything I'd tried before. Lots of internet points for Brian! Any card modelers reading this are shaking their heads and thinking "we could have told you that!".
 



Thanks for the advice! Even when I don't take it or go a different way, it makes me think and helps me learn. Next I need to start laying out the rest of the main cabin, and/or laying out the support posts for the hog chains. We'll see what I feel like doing when I next have time to work on this. 
 
 

Wefalck, I don't have any kind of lathe. In theory I know what you mean, but I wasn't up for trying the old electric drill lathe trick, at least not until all other options had been exhausted.
 
As it turned out, Brian's method of using cardstock worked like a charm. Much better than the styrene I was trying to use, which didn't want to bend properly and was too thick (the joint stood out like a sore thumb). First I figured out what outside radius I wanted and looked for something to use as a pattern. Turns out a spool of cheap rigging thread from a former kit was perfect. So I traced that outline onto some paper, then traced the inner outline around the right size of brass tubing. This is a basic index card.

Notice that I was sneaky here and folded the stock over to get two comparable discs. Some previous experimentation had convinced me that one layer wasn't stiff enough. So I used the kindergarten trick and cut two out together, making their boundaries more consistent than trying to cut them out separately.

I could have glued the two halves together before cutting, but intentionally didn't. I thought that would make the overlapping joint too thick (more noticeable) and also make the stock stiffer and harder to bend (why the styrene wasn't working). So I spread some glue on one end of the ring, then formed it around the brass tube until I had the angle I wanted:

When both were independently glued up, I smeared glue on one whole surface and sandwiched them together. This worked great, giving me a stiffer final result with the appearance of a single layer (finer joint). I then painted them with thick black paint, which when dry stiffened them even further.
 

And here they are test-fit on the model. Much better than anything I'd tried before. Lots of internet points for Brian! Any card modelers reading this are shaking their heads and thinking "we could have told you that!".
 



Thanks for the advice! Even when I don't take it or go a different way, it makes me think and helps me learn. Next I need to start laying out the rest of the main cabin, and/or laying out the support posts for the hog chains. We'll see what I feel like doing when I next have time to work on this. 
 
 

Wefalck, thanks, I'd figured that out in theory but was struggling with putting it into practice. I'll definitely try Brian's method with card stock. I'd tried thin styrene but it didn't cut or fold cleanly enough. And thanks for the pictures, I'm also very visual.
 
 

So here's what the new stacks look like. Still not attached permanently so don't worry about their exact orientation.
 

I still have to figure out how to make the little rain shields (I assume that's what they are) that sit between the chimneys and the broader heat shields; you can see them clearly in this image:

I've tried a few things and none have looked good.
 
On to the pilot house. Here's a bit more progress, showing the ubiquitous wood stove in the corner, and the back wall added.
 


This had an unusual window pattern that you can see here:

 
And some rafters added:
 

Better late than never, I added some hardware to the bottom of the hull so the model could be bolted down to a base if desired. I should have done this much sooner, and now was the last chance while I could reasonably work on it upside down (before more delicate structures were added).

That's all for now, but it's progress. Thanks so much for sticking with me!

Been working a lot on all the deck fixtures which means lots of painting and brass blackening of tiny parts.
 
Poop deck hardware, azimuth compass, and hand railing.

 
Windlass painted and glued in place.  I'm going to have to figure out what to do for the windlass handles, i formed up the brass rod to exactly match the kits template and they turned out not to be long enough, I tried to reform them to work but they just looked way to mangled up and I wasn't happy with them. The one material that Occre seems to be stingy with on this kit is the brass rod, so I am either going to have to order some more or find an alternative solution. 

 
Spent a while saturday night trying to rig up the carronade to somewhat match up how it is in the AOTS book.  It doesn't look great and the blocks look way out of scale, but it's way better than just the single rope the kit instructions called for. 

 
Sunday I finally decided to tackle the deadeyes, these took the better part of the day to install but weren't nearly as difficult as I was expecting.  

0.8 mm square copper wire indeed seems to be the smallest square wire commercially available.
 
A short while ago I was able to buy a miniature jewellery rolling mill. It is actually meant for enlarging wedding rings and such, but I will convert it for rolling (soft) round wire into tiny square, rectangular or half-round wire.
 
CuNi-wire is available in a wide variety of dimensions as flat wire - it is being used in heating elements. A while ago I got a good selection of old stock from ebay.

I like it when solution develop - it's so much more educational. Nicely made smoke stacks Eric.

Thanks guys, for the kind comments, it's so appreciated.  Also for the likes.
 
 
It does - and it seems a practical matter of finding a spot for the engine room and 3,000 gals of diesel.  The fish hold takes up about 16'5" (500cm) of prime real estate right out the center of the hull.  But, I still think she's a handsome girl.
 
   
 
Gary