Cathead

More walls ready for more windows…
 

 
Saloon Doors and my first “curved” walls. 
 

 
Onwards to cutting in more windows…
 
Cheers 🍻

More Windows…
 

 

 

 

 
… and more framing for more windows. 🤪 Repetition does make for improved carpentry skills.


 
Vintage photo (courtesy Floyd County Library) of the Hey Day of Shipbuilding in New Albany, IN. On the Ohio River bank with 1000s of carpenters and many tons of lumber. 
 
 Cheers 🍻 

Thanks and you're welcome. I actually finished the Arabia in 2020, you can read the build log at the link in my signature and there's an album of completed images here. Be sure to check out Brian's current project, too, he's got a beautiful Cairo going (see link in his signature).

Cathead,
 
Thanks for the explanation on the supporting beams.    I appreciate you comments and pictures.    And I really like the looks of your Arabia.   It is going to be a neat model.
 
john

I'm not an expert, but here's a perspective in lieu of any more informed responses that might arise.
 
Sailing ship crews could rig block&tackle in a variety of places in order to lift and move items like boats, upper masts, replacement yards, cargo, etc. The very nature of a masted ship with yards and stays gives you all sorts of options to work with and seamen were geniuses with the geometry required. Many repairs could be carried out this way without the need for dockyard cranes. Here's a thread on MSW about how boats were moved around. And here's an image shared there that shows one possible method:
 

 
So you don't need to show any special details for lowering and recovering boats. I'm not sure when davits came into common use but as far as I know it was normal in the Age of Sail for boats to be stored amidships and deployed without them.

To follow up on what Brian said, here are a few photos showing how the deck extensions (called "guards" on riverboats) were structured. Beams ran outboard from the hull at close intervals, forming a solid structure supporting the decking above. Here's guard planking partly completed on my scratchbuilt Arabia:
 

 
And here's the completed underside:
 

 
And if you want a real-world photo, here's the Arabia wreck; look just aft (left) of the paddlewheel and you'll see the beams supporting the guard beyond the hull:
 

 
This is a sidewheeler but the concept was the same. I don't know exactly how it was on Chaperon, but you wouldn't go wrong adding a series of these beams if you're worried about strength and/or want to add some reasonably authentic detail.
 
 

I'm not an expert, but here's a perspective in lieu of any more informed responses that might arise.
 
Sailing ship crews could rig block&tackle in a variety of places in order to lift and move items like boats, upper masts, replacement yards, cargo, etc. The very nature of a masted ship with yards and stays gives you all sorts of options to work with and seamen were geniuses with the geometry required. Many repairs could be carried out this way without the need for dockyard cranes. Here's a thread on MSW about how boats were moved around. And here's an image shared there that shows one possible method:
 

 
So you don't need to show any special details for lowering and recovering boats. I'm not sure when davits came into common use but as far as I know it was normal in the Age of Sail for boats to be stored amidships and deployed without them.

One way to start is to buy a kit from a reputable manufacturer who bases their models on actual research, like BlueJacket, Vanguard, Syren, Model Shipways, etc. Although not perfect, their standards are high enough to instantly set you on a higher path. And you can always make additional changes/upgrades to the kit (like better rope and fittings).

One way to start is to buy a kit from a reputable manufacturer who bases their models on actual research, like BlueJacket, Vanguard, Syren, Model Shipways, etc. Although not perfect, their standards are high enough to instantly set you on a higher path. And you can always make additional changes/upgrades to the kit (like better rope and fittings).

To follow up on what Brian said, here are a few photos showing how the deck extensions (called "guards" on riverboats) were structured. Beams ran outboard from the hull at close intervals, forming a solid structure supporting the decking above. Here's guard planking partly completed on my scratchbuilt Arabia:
 

 
And here's the completed underside:
 

 
And if you want a real-world photo, here's the Arabia wreck; look just aft (left) of the paddlewheel and you'll see the beams supporting the guard beyond the hull:
 

 
This is a sidewheeler but the concept was the same. I don't know exactly how it was on Chaperon, but you wouldn't go wrong adding a series of these beams if you're worried about strength and/or want to add some reasonably authentic detail.
 
 

One way to start is to buy a kit from a reputable manufacturer who bases their models on actual research, like BlueJacket, Vanguard, Syren, Model Shipways, etc. Although not perfect, their standards are high enough to instantly set you on a higher path. And you can always make additional changes/upgrades to the kit (like better rope and fittings).

To follow up on what Brian said, here are a few photos showing how the deck extensions (called "guards" on riverboats) were structured. Beams ran outboard from the hull at close intervals, forming a solid structure supporting the decking above. Here's guard planking partly completed on my scratchbuilt Arabia:
 

 
And here's the completed underside:
 

 
And if you want a real-world photo, here's the Arabia wreck; look just aft (left) of the paddlewheel and you'll see the beams supporting the guard beyond the hull:
 

 
This is a sidewheeler but the concept was the same. I don't know exactly how it was on Chaperon, but you wouldn't go wrong adding a series of these beams if you're worried about strength and/or want to add some reasonably authentic detail.
 
 

To follow up on what Brian said, here are a few photos showing how the deck extensions (called "guards" on riverboats) were structured. Beams ran outboard from the hull at close intervals, forming a solid structure supporting the decking above. Here's guard planking partly completed on my scratchbuilt Arabia:
 

 
And here's the completed underside:
 

 
And if you want a real-world photo, here's the Arabia wreck; look just aft (left) of the paddlewheel and you'll see the beams supporting the guard beyond the hull:
 

 
This is a sidewheeler but the concept was the same. I don't know exactly how it was on Chaperon, but you wouldn't go wrong adding a series of these beams if you're worried about strength and/or want to add some reasonably authentic detail.
 
 

Brian,
 
Thanks for the confirmation on the rub rail and lack of backing.... 
 
As for breakage, I always seem to find the weakest points in every model the hard way...   Thanks for the word of caution on the deck extensions.  However, but even with that caution, I have a feeling I will be getting a first hand knowledge as to how weak they are.   🙂     I might look into, in addition to epoxying,  maybe also pinning them.   We'll see at the time what thing look like.     
 
john

John,
 
For the most part, the deck boards are all that the rub rail will be glued to. Since you are planning to plank the decks, this will give you another 1/32" more, but still not that much in relation to the width of the rub rail planks. On the real boats, there would have been support beams spaced along the sides to give more attachment surface for the rub rails, and for more realism you can add these if you want to. I chose not to add them since this area was not that visible. With the deck boards and added planking, I didn't have any trouble getting the rub rails to stay in place, especially with a liberal amount of CA applied.
 
This definitely is an issue with the laser machine either not being set up correctly, or possibly the wood board used for the deck thinned a bit toward the outside edge. Either way, it is easy to see the piece was not processed correctly. Ed at Model Expo is excellent at getting replacement pieces sent out quickly, so hopefully it wont hold you up too much.
 
Glad to see that you were able to overcome your "mishap" on the keel. As you stated the repairs will never be seen. I can also neither confirm or deny the same thing happened to me during my build. 😁 But a word of caution, watch those deck extension that run along the sides of the paddle wheel. They can be a bit fragile, I may or may not have broken those a time or to as well. 😜
 
-Brian

I decided to basically start the build over.  The planking was not going well and instead of trying to fix everything, I ordered new bulkheads, keel and some new wood strips from Model Shipways (they have been great with free replacement parts).  Since I'm not that far into the build I would rather start over than fix all the mistakes I've already made.
 
Jon

One additional comment for those who later are interested in building this model.    Below is an extract of one of the above pictures.   I would like to point out that in addition to the missing lines on one of the deck pieces, the pieces that are actually lined are very faint.   In the extract below, the lines more toward the center of the hull are OK, but as the lines go out to the side they get fainter.   I may be wrong, but to me if I was to prime and paint the deck, those lines would completely fill in and not show at all.    This is also true for some of the etched line on structure walls.   I will show those wall later on when I get to that stage.
 
I had an outside conversation with MBP521 and he indicated that for the structure walls that were to show the etched lines, he had to go over them with an scriber tool " to increase the depth of each line prior to painting.    Sound like that painful  process is in my future for the walls I plan on painting and want the etched line to show. - Ugh
 
 

Planking finally complete.   A slow process as I only glued a few bulkheads at a time - hoping to keep them straight.    Be sure to insure all bulkheads are straight  -  Should be a consistent 13/16" between bulkheads.    Next step is to  carve stern parts (28/29A/B) and bow parts 1A/B and glue them in. 
 

 
Below are parts 28/29A/B and ready to be glued to bulkhead 29.    Starting about bulkhead 27 the keel starts go up and gets much thinner between bulkheads 28 and 28.   When gluing  28/29A/B to bulkhead 29 be very careful when clamping the parts to the bulkhead and keel.   It is a very weak area..    Ask me how I know this   🙂
 

 
You guessed it,,,,, the keel between bulkheads 28 and 29 broke off.   I do not have a picture of the breakage, but below shows my repair.  In my panic I over compensated and decided I wanted a block (patch) that would be glued to both the Keel and bulkhead 28.    In reality you only really need maybe a 1/16" piece of wood on both sides of the keel between bulkheads 28 and 29.   In fact, I would suggest you do reinforce that area before you glue on parts 28/29A/B.
 
 

 
 
Below is patch after drying.   It still has to be trimmed, but it will be totally unnoticeable  when covered with planking and decking
 

 
 
Up until this point (if you ignore the breakage) the build has gone very smoothly.  Bulkheads fit easily into the keel parts.
 
But now it starts to get (shall we say) "interesting".   I started laying out the deck  pieces onto the hull just to see what we have going...   Two issues have popped up.
First issue is more of a Model Shipways issue.   The four deck pieces should all have etched lines on them simulating planking.    As you can see from the picture below, the port stern section (35P) has no etched lines.    Even though I plan to plank the Main and Boiler decks, you need the etched lines to show where the structures are to be placed.
 
Below shows part 35P with missing etched lines.
 

 
In contrast it's partner part (35S) has the etched lines
 

 
Model shipways is very good about replacing missing/broken parts.  I sent them a note today and I expect the replaced part to be within a week.   This is not really an issue.
 
Looking ahead, the second issue is more of a question...  There is a 1/16" x 1/4" rub rail that goes around the entire main deck.   Problem is,,,, For most of the hull, the Main deck extends beyond the bulkheads by 3/8".    And in the bow and stern sections the deck extend much more beyond the bulkheads.    I guess my question is, is this 1/16" x 1/4"  rub rail only attached to the edge of the main decking and just hangs down in the air?    Seems like that is not much gluing area and a rub rail should have some sort of backing.   I could always put some additional wood behind the rub rail but I figured I would ask the question of those who have built Chaperon before.    Is the rub rail really only glued to the 1/16" main deck edge?
 
Here are a couple shots of the deck pieces at the middle of the hull.   The 1/16" planking on each side of the hull will take up 1/8" but that still leaves a large gap and not much area to glue the rub rail.
 

 

 
 
 

Greetings All,
 
I have another alternative for making paper sails. The photos are pretty much self explanatory. I used X9, 16 lb. printer paper, and thinned white glue. Basically, a whole lot of equally spaced small nails/pins were sunk into a piece of wood, down both sides of the top. A sheet of clear acetate was taped down between the pins, a piece of paper taped on top of that. Then fly tying thread was strung between pins. Thinned white glue was then applied to the paper and threads with a paint brush, a second piece of paper placed on top, and a second acetate sheet on top of that. A second board was placed on top of it all, and clamped down with multiple C clamps. Left to dry for 24 hours, then disassembled and the threads cut. One thing to note is that when applying the glue the thread stretched a bit, and some portions of the resulting sail would not have glued tightly.
 
What I did was to make multiple sheets of sails, and pick out the areas that were the right size and the entire area was glued properly to use for my model. I tried various thread colors, but found that they were too prominent if not using white thread. I did not try different papers, might be worth checking out the method using something other than printer paper. For the some of the jib sails I cut two pieces and used thin paper to glue them together.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Anchor's A Weigh!
John Fox III
 

State Rooms continue…
 

 
 

 
 

 
 


Onwards… 🍻
 
 

Ships' boats painted and the paper covers made and installed. Kind of jumping around as I'm still waiting for needed parts, including paint for the hull.
 
 

Received the Tamiya gray primer, did first priming and filling. Applied second coat and sanded lightly with 400 grit paper. You can see I sanded through the primer in a few areas, but I believe that was caused by irregularities that needed sanding out. I thought the sanding was necessary because the primer leaves a definite "tooth" on the surface. The directions for the spray do not mention sanding between coats or at final coat, so I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. Maybe the roughness is meant for paint adhesion? Also, I'm not sure if I should be re-priming the entire hull or just the areas getting filler. . . but I'm doing the entire hull as uniform thickness may be important.

Regardless, this primer is way better than what I had been using. Very small cans, it took most of a can for each coat. Expensive, but seems worth the cost. 
 
The lines showing between planks are almost completely gone now, the hull is very smooth. I see a couple of problem areas left and will do one more round, and then call it good.
 



 
 
 

Yes, you are right Wefalck - my bad.
 

 
Gary

Greetings fellow modelers and thanks to all for the visits, comments and likes.
 
I haven't spent much time at the work bench lately, but I do want to show you what I have done.  The gunwales, decks and bottom boards have been placed but none are yet complete.
 
I decided on a classic forest green for the outer hull.  The model was primed and the body color is a mix of Tamiya acrylic primary colors to produce the color I had in my head.  Three thin coats have been applied with at least one more to go as soon as I'm done manhandling the thing.
 

 
 
I chose raw umber to stain the unpainted wood such as the bottom boards, etc.  The stain is a chalk/alcohol mix which could just as effectively been mixed with water, but I prefer the rapid dry time of the alcohol.  I pre-stained the wood before attaching the pieces, but I ended up sanding most of it off the gunwales and decks during the fitting process and it will need to be re-applied.
 

 
The photo below shows the rough state of the decks and clearly there is work yet to be done.  Most Rangeley boats have flat decks with straight edges to the interior, but I chose to arc the inner edge and put a slight crown into it simply because it appeals to my eye.  And it adds to the canoe-on-steroids look.
 

 

 

 
Hope to have more progress to show soon.  Thanks for looking.
 
Gary
 

After some consideration, I decided to paint the bulwarks before drilling the holes. Reason being, the paint will clog up the holes, and I will need to pierce the holes again after painting. And I chose to paint the bulwarks in the great cabin white after seeing Werner's and Dirk's gorgeous builds. 
 
Also, I ended up using the kit's shell pieces for the sides of the quarter gallery instead of scratch building them. They needed a lot of tweaking for it to fit well, and not to mention a lot of filler as well 😁
Shaping and gluing these pieces is probably the trickiest part of the quarter gallery construction. There are a lot of angles to work with. It's not perfect, but I am happy with the outcome.


And here are some photos of the painted bulwarks:









I will be gluing a thin veneer on the false deck at the portside of the bow since there is a large gap beneath the spirketting which is very noticeable. The starboard side has a more consistent gap throughout the entire hull.  I was afraid to remove the false deck neatly, so that's why I am thinking of following this route instead.