Cathead

You're definitely right that the proportions of this kit are out of whack. The figures will add a really nice touch, though.

from that moment on,  things just unraveled.  my son wanted to borrow the snow blower,  so I had to get out and do our driveway.   even though my son has an SUV,   he would have never gotten through what the snow plow left at the end of the driveway.  {would have been fun watching though}   
 
today started with trimming the planking and sanding the top and bottom of the repaired end cap.

my notion on those pins from the Nordkap fittings was looked into.......I got four of them.

I should have waited though....the order came in and now I have plenty again.   the end cap is sanded and ready to trace out the windows.

on the other end cap,  I decided to leave the door section,  and plank on both sides.

tabs trimmed off.......sanded.....and the ends of the mid section were cemented down to conform to the curve.  it was then planked over.   two small windows will be traced out later.

now,  it's trimmed and sanded.

the eye bolts and rings were added to the forward structure doors.

the first set of windows were cut out on the end cap.

I also cemented in a pair of braces for the middle of the side walls.   I hope the manufacturer realized that the thin planking,  due to it's width,  is not going to navigate the curves very well on these structures  {well maybe the larger one}   on this one,  I have some 3 mm planking that will do nicely.   the windows are going to be a pain,  since I'm not using the metal stuff.  I'll have to see how this is gonna work out.
 

so yesterday,  my curiosity concerning the helmsman,  caused me to assemble the helm room.  I left one wall removable,   so I can work on the interior.

I then started to assemble the end cap fascias on the two upper level structures..........that when I knew I had my work cut out for me.


the other end cracked too......so I took another route.  I trimmed off the tabs and planked it over.

it will have stained thing strip laid over it,   once I cut out the windows.   there is no door on this end.  I likely will remove the other end and do the same thing.

Thanks, Bob. Though, actually, compared to building every single full-hull frame from scratch for Bertrand, this has been a relative breeze. I do agree that having the real thing for comparison is both exciting and daunting. I'm slightly dreading the machinery for that very reason, as (a) machinery is not really my strong point and (b) having the real machinery on display in a museum makes the standard for accuracy awfully high. There are some interesting questions there that I'll get to once the deck is planked.

You're definitely right that the proportions of this kit are out of whack. The figures will add a really nice touch, though.

You're definitely right that the proportions of this kit are out of whack. The figures will add a really nice touch, though.

You're definitely right that the proportions of this kit are out of whack. The figures will add a really nice touch, though.

Thanks for following along, for the likes, and commentary...
 
Still fussing with cannon... I drilled the holes for the rings and hooks that fit to the bulkhead.  The first photo shows the machining jig and drilling tool.  All the barrels are in the carriages and the appropriate hardware added to them.  I also added the trunnion caps made from black paper soaked in CA. (Barely visible in the last photo).  The 2nd pic shows 6 in position to check alignment, etc.   So far... so good.   Now for the fun part... hooks, blocks, and rope for the training gear.  Once that's completed, I'll start adding the breeching and installing the hardware to the bulkhead and connecting everything up.   My only comment is "This stuff is tiny.  Next time, a bigger scale. Admiral permitting of course."  
 

 

 

 

 
 

My work for today.
 
The sailcloth with the kit must have been very old or just strange! I died it with tea to give a nice golden colour. Marked out all the sails and carefully sealed the edges with white glue then left it to dry. The glue dried - purple ???!!!
 
So, I dug out some sailcloth saved from a previous build, soaked it in coffee this time - preferred the colour. Marked out all the sails - again - sealed the edges with white glue and left it to dry. Wonderful !!
 
I have sewn rope all around the edges and made the necessary loops. Next stage of course is to fit them. The pictures are of course from the second attempt!
 
 

yawwwwn.....what is it?   Gibbs got us up early this morning for an outing.   I kinda laughed {the admiral wasn't though}.......kind of a drill for the upcoming week,  for starting the new work schedule      so...while I'm up early,  I thought I'd get an early start {what a brilliant concept   } 
 
I though I'd show you the stand I made for it......I will be squaring the base off,  so it looks better.   it made sense to use the balsa......a really soft wood that won't mar the finished bottom.  I probably won't need to line it with felt.

I've forgotten what I bought the balsa for.....I had bought some 1/2 inch square stock too.   the length is good too,  lining a good length of the model.

I might try and repaint the paddle wheel brackets and the troughs.......not sure if I like them with a flat finish.   if I do anything,  I may leave the troughs flat,  and gloss up the brackets,  since they will be highly visible.

as I mentioned,  I received the figures!   I'm very impressed with the level of craftsmanship...the paint work is phenomenal    the admiral wanted to see how they would look on the model......she couldn't believe how small they are.   comparing them to the scale of the aft section doors,  they look right,  but seems to be out of scale with the overall look of the model.  I noticed that anyway........the ratio of the aft doors,  compared to the size of the doors on the forward structure,  one gets a sense of the imbalance.   the figures are made by Preiser of Germany....ordered from the Model Train Stuff website.   I wanted them to have the look of the deep South.......you know,  the Southern Belle thing.....puffy dresses,  parasols.......top hats and three piece suits...the gambler.

I chose a special guy for the helm......I hope he can be seen window height.   I may assemble the helm room to find out....possibly make adjustments,  if needed.        this figure is by Model tech studios......I was surprised to find that they are based in North Hampton,  New Hampshire.    they deal with nautical,  and action type figures.   If I was doing a diorama of a work shop scene,  I'd have found the perfect for it.   odd that this chap is the same scale as the others,  but seems a wee bit smaller in comparison.       http://modeltechstudios.com/hoscalepeople.aspx?page=3

I also got some uniformed crew members........there was another in the earlier package.......probably why I was drawn to these folks.

here are some more passengers........

I will likely need to get a couple more packs.......folks sitting.......some farmer looking folks.   I think the crew are a bit modern.....but I wanted anyone looking at the model to be able to pick them out easily.  .......not like they'd be thinking 'period people' anyway.   the figures will add a wide range of color to the model.. not sure what I'll use the rocking horse for.   I could cut off the rockers,  add a pole and a coin receiver,  and turn it into a 'dime store' amusement ride out of it   

from here,  I looked up Preiser figures,  to find their base site,  and I happened onto two other model train sites.   one of them has an even larger selection of figures,  so I have more to choose from.   with what I spent already...........I hope the admiral don't flip when I get more   

Thanks, Bob. Though, actually, compared to building every single full-hull frame from scratch for Bertrand, this has been a relative breeze. I do agree that having the real thing for comparison is both exciting and daunting. I'm slightly dreading the machinery for that very reason, as (a) machinery is not really my strong point and (b) having the real machinery on display in a museum makes the standard for accuracy awfully high. There are some interesting questions there that I'll get to once the deck is planked.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

Thanks, Bob. Though, actually, compared to building every single full-hull frame from scratch for Bertrand, this has been a relative breeze. I do agree that having the real thing for comparison is both exciting and daunting. I'm slightly dreading the machinery for that very reason, as (a) machinery is not really my strong point and (b) having the real machinery on display in a museum makes the standard for accuracy awfully high. There are some interesting questions there that I'll get to once the deck is planked.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

The standing rigging is done. How come is it that when trimming the threads I always manage to cut one I shouldn't. It doesn't seem to matter how careful I am I always manage it !
 
Next step - making sails.
 

I worked on the Bismarck before work. I never did that before. It was only adding a ladder but its Somthing. 

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

I've made slow progress on some unphotogenic work, mainly filling in the myriad little gaps in planking between every deck beam extending out to support the guards. This took forever, as each little piece had to be cut and filed to shape given the odd angles of the hull, particularly at bow and stern. They're not all quite straight or perfect, but some judicious wood filler and filing took care of that, and they'll be almost invisible on the finished model once the decking is installed and they're tucked in the shadows under the guards. I didn't bother to take a photo of this as it really isn't very interesting. It took a long time, but a couple interesting soccer games over the weekend helped me keep plugging away.
 
Beforehand, now that the hull was planked, I made a basic support jig that allowed the hull to be clamped into my handy rotating work stand:
 

Unlike a sailing ship, these riverboats had little to no external keel, so there's nowhere to attach such a work stand to. I really like having my models on a rotating stand like this, because it allows me to choose the right angle for any given job and often makes the work a lot more ergonomic. Thus I made and screwed this into the hull; it's nice and solid. Although this setup is rough and ugly, I measured the screw holes in the hull to be exactly where I'd want them for the final display stand. So I'll be able to mount this properly once the work is done. It already made filling all the planking gaps much easier because I could tilt the model as-needed to see each gap.
 
Also, as there were questions about the rudder, here's my rudder next to the original:
 

Now that they're truly side by side, it seems that I got a few proportions slightly off. Some of this can be solved by a bit more sanding. I may end up redoing this, using the photo pair above as a better guide. I won't attach this until near the end of the project, so it's not of immediate concern. It is neat to compare the model and original side by side like this, I'll try to do a few more photos.
 
Next up, I'll take the jig back off the hull and do a final sanding. Once I'm happy with it surface, I'll go ahead and paint it. Then it's on to deck planking.
 
Thanks for reading.

also made the lower main staircase. still undecided as to whether or not put down carpet stair runners as per the box art. if I do it certainly wont be the red sticker that comes with the kit!
 
Chris
 
 
 

So, after what seems like an eternity, I have got the shutters on the Port side windows. Each shitter contains about 35 individual pieces They tend to show up a bit dodgy in the pics, but in real life I am really happy with them. again at this point this structure is just sitting there as its way easier to glue the shutters on beforehand.. also the next deck is just sitting there as well. 
 
Chris
 
 
 

Both sets of ratlines complete. The bowsprit is on after quite a struggle. The binding or whatever it is called from it to the keel was murder. It kept trying to slide down and wouldn't stay where I wanted it. A bit of glue go me there in the end.