Cathead

That's a very nice looking boiler you're building there.
 
John

Thank you, LJP. Archer sells S scale (1:64) rivets. 1:120 is between HO and N scale so I'll probably go with the N scale. I learned of Archer through mcb's Blairstown build, see his rivet images on page four. 
 
https://modelshipworld.com/topic/32170-blairstown-by-mcb-1160-plastic-steam-derrick-lighter-ny-harbor/

Keith,
 
Thanks for the info.  I definitely would use this in the future. One of the issues using small nails is lack of quality control - heads misaligned, etc. Love your Lula, but the scale is beyond my abilities to do detailing like you have.
 
LJP

The boiler looks great, LJP.
 
The below won't help you with this build but at least you'll have the information for next time. Yesterday I became aware of transfer rivets by Archer, they sell several patterns in five? different scales. 
 
https://www.archertransfers.com/pages/surface-details-n-scale
 
 Example image of one of the patterns.

Building the boiler assembly turned into  a project onto itself.
 
The J H Crawford had a single Scotch Marine boiler that had been built by Burns of Fort Howard (Green Bay) per period publications. The Milwaukee Public Library, Great Lakes Marine Collection, lists the boiler as a 6 foot  diameter by 12 feet long Firebox boiler. At my 1/64 scale, this is 1 1/8 by 2 ¼ - which is large enough to include some simplified detail. The 12 foot length was noted on other Ryan built boats but diameters and number of boilers varied.
 
I used several sources to pattern the boiler. Like my Thistle build,  I used Marine Iron Works of Chicago USA sales brochures and of course Bates.  There are literally thousands of boiler photos in books and periodicals.  
 
I also used Keith Black’s YouTube screen shots (below) of an actual 1887 Scotch Marine boiler which was immeasurably helpful.  The screen shot of the actual boiler has been heavily enhanced to show the detail. 

Source: YouTube Part 2:1887 Scotch Marine boiler and plant steam test and operation by A.E.Karnes
 
I started the boiler project by drawing simplified scale plans based upon my research. The face of the boiler looks a lot like the 1887 YouTube video while the boiler itself resembles the Marine Iron Works. These are the plans with an early start on the boiler.

  I simulated the boiler rivets using small nails.  I used a ponce wheel for the spacing, but lots of drilling.  I do like what the final result was even given the work to get there.


Next up, all the detail and painting.

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/

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/

Thank you, Roel. 
 
Thank you, Pat. 
 
 Thank you, Lynn. No, I've not made it to the Arabia museum but Eric, @Cathead, shared photos of some of the museum exhibits in his Arabia build. 
 
https://modelshipworld.com/topic/17090-arabia-1856-by-cathead-finished-scale-164-sidewheel-riverboat-from-the-missouri-river-usa/

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!

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!

OK,,, back at it.... The end is near.    Starting with the rigging...  Used some black .25mm line.   As you might imagine, it is a real rats nest of lines going back and forth holding up the smoke stacks.   Somewhat of a challenge for me trying attaching each line while trying not to knock any of the existing lines.   but eventually they were all applied   Kind of hard to see the lines in these pictures with black lines against the black deck, but the plans accurately show where each lines goes, so not a big deal.
 

 
 

 
On to rigging the forward gang plank.   Again a lot of lines in a small area.   Plans are accurate as to where each line goes.   Only real (shall we say) "excitement"  was with the very last line.   Swung my head around to fast and the magnifying  glasses on my head accidently hit the gang plank.  All the rigging, gang plank, and boom came crashing down.   By that time (after a few choice words) I had been at it too long and too tired, and too cranky to repair it.    Repairs will be the next day.    I have found that about 2 hours of work on a model is about all I can do at one time.   After that I start making mistakes (like this one).   This time I had been working about 3 hours,,,,, and obviously it showed up with the crash.    I will try to listen to my own advice more in the future.
 

 

 

 
On to the life boats.   At this point all I really had to do was rig the gang planks.   The life boats and posts were made earlier.
Brian  made the suggestion in his build that the interlocking rings at the base of the post are a little funky and instead mounted the posts on a board and extended out for the hull.  These boards are circled in red below.   Also, the upper deck is wider than the lower deck (or at least that is the way it is on my model), so if you use the interlocking rings from the lower deck, the posts will extend out from the upper deck and will not be vertical.   I liked the idea of mounting the posts on a board instead of the interlocking rings....
 

 


And with the life boats rigged I am going to "call it"....  done ...... except for the base....  Over the next week I will figure out some sort of base.    Its eventual home will be in a large display case that hold most of my models so it will be protected.
 
It has been a long journey and a real challenge for me as I am probably a below average modeler at best.    But it has been fun....
At this point I am going to take a break from ship building.   My next build will be the Artesania Stage Coach.   For some reason that caught my eye and I looking forward to it.
 
Here are a few final pictures
 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Thank you, Bob. A tooth pick is larger than the original handles. This pump is a little delicate thing.
 
 Thank you everyone for the support. Your comments and likes inspire me to make Lula as interesting as possible.
 
 
  The thread for handles worked great, thank you again, Gary. To answer your question about how much the hand pump will be seen......the sides will be open and I think some of the pump will be visible from above as the upper deck forward of the pilothouse will only extend about halfway past the boiler. 
 
 Hand pump on a penny
 
 

 
 and on Lula's deck. These handles are much more to scale. They are 0.30 inches wide and 0.020 inches in diameter. 

 With that I'm calling the hand pump done, it's time to start building some structure. I'm going to start with the coal bin. i'll build the bin on a thin plywood base that will be narrow between the bin door and the boiler's firebox door. It will then widen where where the boiler will sit comfortably on the starboard side and be wide enough on the port side for the hand pump to sit. It will extend aft just past the beam engine. The plywood will represent iron plate and I want to be able to have the coal bin, boiler, hand pump, and beam engine on the plywood as a single unit where i can adjust all four elements as a whole when I create the space between the beam engine and the steam engine room.  It will also allow me to plumb the pump, boiler, and beam engine without trying to lift the three individual units plumbed together when placing them on the deck.  
 
 
  Thank you for your input and for following Lula's journey. 
 
    Keith

That'd be a great model, Eberhard. It could be working a Spanish wreck with the diver bringing up treasure. 

The pump reminds of another project that I have in the back of my mind for some day: a diving-barge with an old-time diver with the large copper helmet, foldy rubber suit, chunky leaded-down boots, etc. They would be supplied with air through a hose. I remember one seeing as a boy, inspecting the pile-driver's work in Kiel harbour. Must have been around 1961 or 1962. 

Thank you, Phil. I'll order flux and solder and see if I can teach myself to be better at the soldering process. Once upon a time I did a lot of soldering on PC boards when I was in the Marines but then we had the best wasteful money could buy. 
 
 Were you in PCB design? I worked at QC Graphics in Dallas for several years. 
 
 Thank you, Gary. I wanted to hit the like, thank you, and laugh button all at the same time. Great idea on using thread, I'll head upstairs shortly to try that. The knuckle dragger is the guy doing the building. 

Nice work on the hand pump, Keith.  I agree with you the handles are a bit large, but not absurdly so.  As John suggested, a piece of wire would work nicely or maybe a piece of thread pre-stiffened with CA.  Alternatively, you could just explain that the boilerman is a knuckle dragging neanderthal and the handles were enlarged expressly for him.  After the housing is installed, how visible will it be?
 
Gary  

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:

 
 

I'm not sure you're reading the room correctly, LOL.
 

That last photo is an early Christmas present. What a great set this is going to be!

LOL, that's fantastic! And here I was, looking forward to seeing how you built those itty bitty paddlewheel frames...

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:

 
 

Dr PR, Thanks for the link.  Very informative and useful reference during the rigging process.  I think I’ve done just about everything I can think of prior to rigging so it looks like it’s time to start.  I’m going for a natural look on this model with a wood finish only and brass, it will be finished with Tung oil only. The kit was short changed on some parts materials so I had to build some parts with wood I had on hand (cherry, basswood, mahogany), but I think it worked out alright in the end with the Tung oil finish.


 

Decided to rebuild the chimney smoke stack from plastic rather than using the cast metal part provided. I felt that the cast metal part just didn't look too great:
 

 
Also finished the bilge pump:
 

Mooring cleats attached and shaped:
 

Hawse hole drilled on inside and outside. Small plastic piece shaped for outside of hull:
 

Thanks for the likes, and thanks for the kind word Mike and Al.  I have finished the bowsprit.  The aft end is painted black and I used a pencil to darken the sheeve at the fore end.  Following Chuck's instructions, I used black construction paper to simulate the metal band on the end of the bowsprit.  I had made the four eye bolts very small in diameter, but then read other build logs where folks were having problems attaching the seizings and hooks, particularly on the two side eye bolts.  So I redid all to a little bigger diameter that would handle the .018" rope and 24 gauge hooks in the loop of the eye bolts.  I've decided to make the rest of the spars before I permanently attach the bowsprit step, and attach and rig the bowsprit, so the eye bolts are not yet glued into the bowsprit end as it will have to be inserted in the bulwarks hole first.  It took quite a while of careful filing to get the hole in the bulwarks to the correct diameter with no gaps between it and the bowsprit.  I wound up purchasing a round file used to sharpen chainsaws for the task.  The round needle files I have on hand are too small in diameter to work well.  Once I was able to fit the bowsprit the way I wanted it, I then practiced fitting it with the bow cannons in place, and figured out how I would do the final mounting.  Once satisfied that I could glue the bowsprit and bowsprit step in place while the cannons were there, I went ahead and permanently attached the cannons.  I've spent the last couple of days preparing the mast for shaping.  It's hard to see on the photo below, but the 7/10/7 lines are drawn on the part that will be rounded, and the limit lines for the top part that will be square are there as well.  I also left some extra material at the top of the mast so I can chuck it in my power drill when the time comes to turn it.  I hand drilled the holes for the sheeve.  After measuring VERY carefully with my digital calipers, I stared with a .016" bit, drilling halfway through the 3/8" square mast stock.  I then did the same thing from the other side.  I was almost surprised that the holes actually lined up! I then widened the holes with a .026" drill bit.
 
Erik