Cathead

Well, that explainth the lithp at leatht.

That's delightful!

Huh, somehow I hadn't caught on that this was a waterline model. With steamboats it can be hard to tell!
 
I'm running out of superlatives.

Well, that explainth the lithp at leatht.

Well, that explainth the lithp at leatht.

“Now, those wi’ a keen eye,” CaptainSteve were to continue, “may ha’ noticed above that there still be two o’ the stern timbers yet to be fitted.”
This be because, as previously mentioned, he doth plan on adding LED lights to this build.
 
These timbers have been drilled for the LEDs …

 
… and grooved to take-eth the wiring for same …

 
“A’ready,” Our Hero began-eth, “the wiring plug hath been fitted to me keel, and wiring stubs hath been brought inside.”

 
Unfortunately, that be close to the limits o’ CaptainSteve’s electrical know-how. Fortunately, he doth know-eth of a colleague much skilled in the (un)dark arts.
“As such,” he went-eth on, “I be leavin’ this update here for now. But a-fore we get into matters of Electrification, an anecdote …”
 
Indeed-eth, CaptainSteve doth recall-eth an incident from his own Youth, whereby he were to discover-eth for his ownself the basic principles o’ the process o’ Electrification.
 
“T’was Christmas time o’ that year”, he were to begin-eth. “And I be but ten years o’ age. Me brother, CaptainDennis (fer whom this ‘ere build be intended), were but 16 months younger ‘an me ownself.”
 
“Indeed-eth,” Our Hero were to explain, “he remain-eth so, to this very Day !!”
Ahem …
 
To cut a long an’ rambling story short, Our Hero and his brother had managed to con their beloved parents into a deal whereby these two schemers would receive the super-duper-all-extras-included-bestest-deal-on-the-planet-ever-Mum-and-Dad-honest-to-God-electric-race-car-track-set as a combined Xmas AND next birthday present for the both of them.
 
(Regular fans may wish to take-eth note o’ CaptainSteve’s choice o’ terminology here: specifically, "a combined ... present” and, " ... for the both of them".)
‘Scuse me ?? Betwixt two brothers, you say, CaptainSteve ??
Surely this could lead to nothing but co-operation and an out-pouring of filial love.
 
All were goodly up until the time whence we didst taketh to re-designing the track lay-out. Something went awry, and one car didst becometh stationary and most uncompetitive !!
 
Reasoning, even at this tender age, that there be no mains power, Our Hero decides to test the voltage … by applying his tongue across the metal bits of a section of track.
 
Crouched o’er the track and with his tongue in contact with the rails of the track, he signals to his beloved younger brother:
“Juth a wee bid, bruvva-deareth”, he were to utter.
 
“What ??” asked his beloved younger brother, as he plunged the plunger on the controller to its’ full-plungeable depth.
 
“GAAAAAAAAAAahhhhhhh !!” were CaptainSteve heard to reply-eth.

There hath been troubles, triumphs and tribulation a-plenty in CaptainSteve’s modellin’ room o’er these past few weeks ...
 
Now, despite being greatly enthused and inspired as he was by works of magnificence such as those from Doris … and Siggi … and so many, many others, CaptainSteve doth wish-eth to note that he hath always intended fer the stern quarters interior detailin’ to be viewed at “galloping horse” speeds.
 
“Or faster, if possible !!”, he were to interject.  
 
“Forsooth,” he were to open with. “I didst maketh plans and all …”

 
For, verily, from whence Our Hero didst first plan to display some sort of furniture in the Great Cabin region, he didst intend-eth plan to utilise the veneers of Tasmanian Blackwood for the interior panelling…

 
“It be a beautiful wood, don’t it ??” he enquired of the horde.
 
The problem, and the part that he forgot to be mentioning, is that it also be an extremely close-grained hardwood, thusly making it most difficult to work with …
“But it also be a right PITA to work-eth with, and prone to much splinterin’ and shatterin’ !!”, Our Hero were to declare-eth.
 
“Whilst I were not to keep many pictures o’ me failings,” he stammered weakly, by way of explanation, “I didst try to simulate the panelling with me Proxxon mill.”

 
Eventually, CaptainSteve did constructeth a board-room table from a small piece of the Blackwood …

 
CaptainSteve explains: “In the instance o’ the first, I be a-planning on adding false doors at the back of Bulkhead R …”

 
“… as well-eth, there wouldst be doors leading to each o’ the side galleries.”

 
“In addition, I didst also paint-eth some wall-paintings …”
If truth be known, Our Hero didst merely build-eth a frame, some 3mm square, and didst glue-eth such to a postage stamp. All that remained was a quick trim.

“Arr !!” he were to mumble, sheepishly. “I be found out. I didst think-eth that, at a ‘galloping horse viewing distance’ mayhaps no-one wouldst notice.”

 
Here be pictures ….

 
“Ye may note,” CaptainSteve noted, “that the lounge be just a piece of doll-house furniture which I were to ha’ a-layin’ about the place.”

 
Our Hero intends to be a-leavin’ the doors sittin’ ajar …
“It be the better fer allowing me lighting to be visible through the side gallery windows.”

 
As a final touch, he didst make-eth up a pair of map scrolls …
“These, I be just sitting lazily upon me Blackwood Captain's table,” he explained.

 
“By the by … “, CaptainSteve were to cry-eth out !! “I didst modify the angle o’ me window frames e’er so slightly.”
 
Upon checking the pictures in AOTS more closely, Our Hero didst find-eth that the angles of the window frames are, more accurately: 3.50, 70 and 10.50. As such, new templates were cut from scrap card pieces.

“In truth,” he were to explain-eth, pointing to the above picture, “I didst decideth to go instead with angles of 40, 80 and 120.”
 
CaptainSteve be thinkin’ that these settings be more aesthetically pleasing …
 
What say-eth the Horde ??

Huh, somehow I hadn't caught on that this was a waterline model. With steamboats it can be hard to tell!
 
I'm running out of superlatives.

Huh, somehow I hadn't caught on that this was a waterline model. With steamboats it can be hard to tell!
 
I'm running out of superlatives.

Well I didn't want anyone to think I fell of the earth. These sails are taking quite some time to achieve, what I feel to be, satisfactory status.
 
So here's a couple of photos of the figure head for Nutz Pirate Ship. I used ebony both for color and it's a nice wood to carve. Pocket knife and dremel diamond grinding bits were used to make this mediocre representation of the human skull. Unlike other figure heads, this won't be attached to the bow, but sit atop the point of the bowsprit.
 

I've finally gotten around to making the flywheels.  I've been looking forward to it because it is the largest and most impressive piece of machinery that was recovered from the wreck.  Heroine's two flywheels were 14 feet in diameter and each was made up of 16 overlapping identical castings.
 
 
Some of the 64 flywheel rim sections.

 
 
Jig for drilling the 384 holes in the rims.  I'll have to re-make this in steel --  After only 8 rims, the hole is becoming distorted.

 
 
Milling a fixture to hold the rim sections in order to mill the pockets for the spokes.  The original rims had dovetailed pockets and two wedges were driven into the spoke to expand it into the pocket. 

 
 
Fixture in use.

 

 

 

 
Completed pocket.

 

 
 
$50 dollars worth of brass and 21 hours of mill time doesn't look like much.

 
 
Since this is a waterline model, the bottoms of the flywheels will have to be cut off.  To guarantee the alignment of the flywheels I printed out a pattern of each with the proper cut lines.

 
 
Test fit of one of the spokes.

The deck is finally planked on the first model and I've started on the second.  Another shipment of boxwood arrived and I hope I bought enough to finish this time.
 
I did a little more work on the cam frames and started on the spokes for the flywheel.
 
Soldering the spreaders for the cam frames.

 

 
Completed cam frames.  The cams were 24" X 24", the distance between the cam frames is 24 1/2"

 
 
Finally, one deck complete.

 

 
 
Flywheel spokes fresh from the mill.  The channels for the spokes in the flanges were of different depths on the port and starboard sides requiring them to be cut slightly different.

 

 
The outer face was beveled slightly from 5 inches at the flange to 4 inches at the rim.  The mill could only cut one side so the bevel was added later.
 

 
Test fitting the spokes.  The mill cuts the interfaces so cleanly that there is almost no hand fitting necessary. This will save a lot of time on the 96 paddlewheel spokes when I get to them.

Lots of progress lately. By the end of this post, Bertrand will be ready for the final bits of rigging and details. The end is in sight! Here we go:
 
Pilot house
 

 
Here I'm laying out pieces for the pilot house. Like the cabins, this uses pre-scribed wood, though I'm cutting & staining the window & door frames individually. I didn't have anything that small on hand, so split each piece manually from wider strips, using a hobby knife.
 

 
Here you see the pilot house partially assembled. You'll notice that I made the windows with two layers of wood, technically not accurate since a real window would have the panes and frames all in one plane. I decided that I didn't have the skill to make perfect square small-paned windows like these in 1:87, so went with the two-layer approach as a reasonable approximation. One reason I stained the windows dark, is to help hide their 2-D nature. The resulting shadow keeps the eye from seeing that, compared to if they were all white. And I think it looks nice. When you step back more than 6", it's hard to see the difference.
 

 
Here's the pilot house installed, with a beginning to the clerestory roof. I carved a series of roof braces with a gentle curve to support this area, instead of bothering with full rafters, as this can't be seen from any angle. Much easier. Then I just planked in both roof areas as I'd done the hurricane deck, using the same pre-coloring technique with pastels. If you look real close, you can see the wheel, which I made by cutting a hoop from the styrene tube soon to be used for the chimneys, and gluing thin styrene rods radially. I thought I took pictures of this process, but can't find them now. Oops.
 
Chimneys
 

 
Though the model railroader in me wants to call these smokestacks, apparently the steamboat world generally called them chimneys. In any case, these were built from two diameters of styrene tubing, one of which slides neatly into the other. I cut a series of hoops from the thicker diameter, and drilled holes in styrene sheet to create a kind of cover plate for where the chimneys cross the hurricane deck.
 
Middle photo shows the assembled chimneys. The thicker, lower section simulates the heat shields such chimneys used to protect passengers on the boiler deck from the hot chimney pipes. The various hoops simulate thicker iron bands on the chimneys, placed approximately where various plans and period illustrations suggest they should be. As styrene is too smooth and shiny to really simulate rough iron to my eye, I used a past trick of mine and wrapped the chimneys in layers of strong masking tape, making each seem a quarter turn from the layer below. These seams simulate the chimneys' construction from tubes of iron, and produce a nice rough texture. 
 
On the right, you see the painted and installed chimneys, weathered with rust-colored pastels. I think they look convincingly like frontier iron work.
 
Stairs
 

 
Three sets of stairs are needed to reach the pilot house from the boiler deck; one from boiler deck to hurricane deck (right), one from hurricane deck to clerestory roof (not shown), and one from clerestory to pilot house (left). I built these in the same manner as the main staircase from main deck to boiler deck, described before in this build. In the background, you see some hog chains, which I'll discuss soon.
 
Boiler deck railing
 

 
Probably the most fiddly part of this build. I'm not entirely happy with how these came out, but they look fine from more than a foot away. I started by building the internal railing that keep passengers from falling down the main stairwell (left). Then I glued a long, painted strip wrapped around all the stanchions on the boiler deck, as the upper rail (center). Then I hand-cut a whole whoppin'  mess of little railing posts to line the railing with, and carefully levered each one into place with tweezers and a dab of glue. Once again, step back a foot and it looks great. Up close, it looks like the work of someone still developing his fine-woodworking skills.
 
(Almost) completed steamboat
 


 
And here she is, very close to done. This is the best view of the hog chain system, the longitudinal iron trusses that keep the bow and stern from sagging in a ong, thin boat with no keel and lots of stern-weight. These I simulated with fine rigging thread painted black, run through holes drilled in the decks and stretched tight. They should have turnbuckles on them for tensioning, which I haven't decided how to simulate yet.
 
All that remains is the "rigging", which in this case means a few support cables for the chimneys, and the various cables and tackles for the grasshopper spars, which I'll discuss when they're done. There are a few other details, such as hoists and tackles for two launches, and splitting some 1:87 firewood for the main deck. But she's close.
 
One question for you all: how would you go about lettering the name, which should go in large black letters on the engine-room wall just forward of the wheel? I've never done lettering before.
 
Hopefully within two weeks I'll post the absolutely completed Bertrand. In the meantime, just two days late, here's Dave Hum playing the Eighth of January, an old tune named for the British defeat at New Orleans that closed the War of 1812, just over 201 years ago:
 

Index of this build
This is an idea I had partway through this build. The idea is to provide an outline of the build so future readers can find information more easily without wading through the entire comment thread or trying to find the right search terms. It's now linked in the opening post of this log.
 
Edit: I wrote up a whole post about this, intending to post it as a new idea, only to find that it had already been proposed last year. But I added my original idea writeup anyway, in case it's of interest to anyone. 
 
Laying out hull frames, first attempt
 
Reconsidering hull framing with new information
 
Laying out hull frames, second attempt
 
Hull framing continued, starting on bow & stern
 
Correcting stern framing, continuing stern & bow framing
 
Completing hull framing
 
Adding guard framing
 
Questioning bow planking
 
Adding deck beams
 
Planking the bow (following some excellent suggestions/discussion)
 
Planking, sanding, and painting hull; starting deck planking
 
Building the rudders; continuing deck planking
 
Building the paddle wheel
 
Images & information from re-visiting the Bertrand museum at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa
 
Discussion of steamboat wrecks on the Missouri
 
Engines & drivers
 
Main deck structures, framing in the boiler deck, hog chain braces
 
Boilers, main deck staircase, beginning boiler deck planking
 
Boiler deck completed, building main cabin structure with stateroom interiors
 
Framing & planking the hurricane deck, building the outhouses
 
Discussion of paddlewheel color
 
Pilot house, chimneys, railings, and the nearly completed model
 
Grasshopper spars
 
Final details
 
Final photos, part I
 
Final photos, part II

Welp, just shows there's nothing new under the sun. I've somehow managed to not see any of them, or to miss them if I did. Parallel invention and all that.

Hah! I've been thinking about this very idea, and wrote up a whole post explaining the concept, only to find that it's already been suggested. Well, here's my expanded proposal anyway, for whatever it's worth. I also created an index for my steamboat Bertrand log.
 
A proposal for improving build logs: table of contents or index  
 
Problem
                Build logs on MSW serve two very different and somewhat conflicting purposes: a dynamic account of the build and a static reference for later builders. The problem arises when the interactive community and comment thread (that makes a live log such a worthwhile experience) becomes a hindrance to later readers trying to research or learn from the build (after the fact). It can be very frustrating to wade through tens or even hundreds of pages of comments looking for certain information, techniques, or stages of a build, and a search function will only go so far.
 
Solution
                 I propose a partial solution: the introduction of a Table of Contents, or Index, to build logs. A builder can plan ahead and include a nascent Index in a very early post of their log, and use the edit function to add to it as the build progresses. This way, a reader arriving at the build later has some sense right away of where in the build different stages happened, and can jump to them without slogging through the entire comment thread.
                Now, this will be easier for some builders than others. I don’t propose linking to every post by a builder in the index. My style of logging tends to be a periodic update of specific steps taken, including many photos and discussions in one post, making it easier to produce an Index. Others take a more stream-of-consciousness approach, with many short posts dealing with small steps individually, producing many hundreds (thousands?) of update comments in a long, complex build log. I suggest that builders link to general parts of the build, or any other topic of specific interest; for a very broad example:
·         Hull framing (link to first post starting this process)
·         Hull planking (link to first post starting this process)
·         Decking (link to first post starting this process)
·         Discussion of a unique way of shaping masts (link to first post starting this process)
And so on. There could be many comments within those sections, but at least a reader looking for a certain part of the build will know where to start. And a builder can be as detailed in this index as they care to be; the more detail, the more helpful the build log to later readers.
 
Retrofitting logs
                For those who like this idea but already have a log started or completed, there are two options. One, just go back to your first post and use the edit function to build in an Index. Two, especially for finished logs, post an Index at the end of the log, then simply link to it prominently by editing your initial post, i.e. “Here is an index of this build (link to post at end of thread)”. I’m certainly not saying this should be required or expected, but for those who like the idea it’s a way to implement it. For example, I had this idea when I was about 2/3 done with my steamboat Bertrand build, and at that point went back through and created a draft index in a Word file that I kept updated from then on. Now that my build is finished, I just posted that index at the end and linked to it in the beginning. On my next build, I’ll leave space at the beginning, or create a separate comment just for the index, making it easy to maintain as I go.
 
Feedback
                I’m curious what you all think. Is this crazy? Worthwhile? Discuss.

Index of this build
This is an idea I had partway through this build. The idea is to provide an outline of the build so future readers can find information more easily without wading through the entire comment thread or trying to find the right search terms. It's now linked in the opening post of this log.
 
Edit: I wrote up a whole post about this, intending to post it as a new idea, only to find that it had already been proposed last year. But I added my original idea writeup anyway, in case it's of interest to anyone. 
 
Laying out hull frames, first attempt
 
Reconsidering hull framing with new information
 
Laying out hull frames, second attempt
 
Hull framing continued, starting on bow & stern
 
Correcting stern framing, continuing stern & bow framing
 
Completing hull framing
 
Adding guard framing
 
Questioning bow planking
 
Adding deck beams
 
Planking the bow (following some excellent suggestions/discussion)
 
Planking, sanding, and painting hull; starting deck planking
 
Building the rudders; continuing deck planking
 
Building the paddle wheel
 
Images & information from re-visiting the Bertrand museum at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa
 
Discussion of steamboat wrecks on the Missouri
 
Engines & drivers
 
Main deck structures, framing in the boiler deck, hog chain braces
 
Boilers, main deck staircase, beginning boiler deck planking
 
Boiler deck completed, building main cabin structure with stateroom interiors
 
Framing & planking the hurricane deck, building the outhouses
 
Discussion of paddlewheel color
 
Pilot house, chimneys, railings, and the nearly completed model
 
Grasshopper spars
 
Final details
 
Final photos, part I
 
Final photos, part II

Welp, just shows there's nothing new under the sun. I've somehow managed to not see any of them, or to miss them if I did. Parallel invention and all that.

Funny thing Cathead - I had exactly the same idea as your Proposal when I first made my own Index and posted the "How To" above .
 
It's certainly a good idea (in all modesty ), and quite a few builders have adopted it so far.
 
  Danny

Hah! I've been thinking about this very idea, and wrote up a whole post explaining the concept, only to find that it's already been suggested. Well, here's my expanded proposal anyway, for whatever it's worth. I also created an index for my steamboat Bertrand log.
 
A proposal for improving build logs: table of contents or index  
 
Problem
                Build logs on MSW serve two very different and somewhat conflicting purposes: a dynamic account of the build and a static reference for later builders. The problem arises when the interactive community and comment thread (that makes a live log such a worthwhile experience) becomes a hindrance to later readers trying to research or learn from the build (after the fact). It can be very frustrating to wade through tens or even hundreds of pages of comments looking for certain information, techniques, or stages of a build, and a search function will only go so far.
 
Solution
                 I propose a partial solution: the introduction of a Table of Contents, or Index, to build logs. A builder can plan ahead and include a nascent Index in a very early post of their log, and use the edit function to add to it as the build progresses. This way, a reader arriving at the build later has some sense right away of where in the build different stages happened, and can jump to them without slogging through the entire comment thread.
                Now, this will be easier for some builders than others. I don’t propose linking to every post by a builder in the index. My style of logging tends to be a periodic update of specific steps taken, including many photos and discussions in one post, making it easier to produce an Index. Others take a more stream-of-consciousness approach, with many short posts dealing with small steps individually, producing many hundreds (thousands?) of update comments in a long, complex build log. I suggest that builders link to general parts of the build, or any other topic of specific interest; for a very broad example:
·         Hull framing (link to first post starting this process)
·         Hull planking (link to first post starting this process)
·         Decking (link to first post starting this process)
·         Discussion of a unique way of shaping masts (link to first post starting this process)
And so on. There could be many comments within those sections, but at least a reader looking for a certain part of the build will know where to start. And a builder can be as detailed in this index as they care to be; the more detail, the more helpful the build log to later readers.
 
Retrofitting logs
                For those who like this idea but already have a log started or completed, there are two options. One, just go back to your first post and use the edit function to build in an Index. Two, especially for finished logs, post an Index at the end of the log, then simply link to it prominently by editing your initial post, i.e. “Here is an index of this build (link to post at end of thread)”. I’m certainly not saying this should be required or expected, but for those who like the idea it’s a way to implement it. For example, I had this idea when I was about 2/3 done with my steamboat Bertrand build, and at that point went back through and created a draft index in a Word file that I kept updated from then on. Now that my build is finished, I just posted that index at the end and linked to it in the beginning. On my next build, I’ll leave space at the beginning, or create a separate comment just for the index, making it easy to maintain as I go.
 
Feedback
                I’m curious what you all think. Is this crazy? Worthwhile? Discuss.

I'm heading out of town for a week, but managed to get the gun port sills installed.  When I installed bulkhead "B" (the one where the mast will go)  I had noticed the bulkhead was warped a bit on the port side.  You can see in the photo I added a balsa block between bulkhead "B" and bulkhead "D" in front of it (the second gun port sill from the front).  This made it possible for the gun port sill to be the same length as the one on the starboard side.  Also, the spacing between the bulkheads is now the same on both sides.
 

 
Erik

The first of that unique deadeye strops finally came apart and one leg slipped out of the channels' slit. I pulled the strops legs together with a sling of some 0.25 line. Fortunately the problem arose at an outermost deadeye and the botched strop should be sufficiently masked by the topmast shroud's collar at exactly this position.
 
 

the skipper inspects the broken strop
 
 

Repaired strop. On this picture I discovered a second one about to brake. This particular construction of the deadeye strops really is unusable and should be changed!
 
 
 
The main topmast shrouds were now rigged. They were set up with thimbles according to Marquardt's book. While cross checking with Lees rigging instructions I found that a schooner seems to resemble a ship without a main mast. Lees rigging details suit the most if I take the fore mast as such but Pickle's main mast matches more the description of the mizzen on a three masted ship.
 
 

shrouds set up with thimbles
 
 

 
 
 
bees on a schooner
While trying to find out how to set up the bowsprit rigging and the jib stay, I slowly came to the conclusion that bees are quite at sea on a schooner. I wouldn't go as far as Jack Aubrey who called them bloodthirsty reptiles and resented them completely when Steven Maturin let his bees fly free in the cabin of HMS Lively but I had to admit that they should go.
A little work with knife, file, sanding paper and paint reduced the bowsprit to the simpler appearance favoured in Marquardt's book and the kit's instructions.
Now the stay and the bowsprit rigging could be set up according to the manual.
 
 

reworked bowsprit (bees gone)
 
 

 
 

better without bees

With the boiler deck planked, apart from a section I left open for internal views, I moved on to building the cabin structures. 
 

 
Typical riverboats of this design had two lines of crew/passenger cabins (usually called staterooms), separated by an open main cabin (or parlor) down the centerline in which meals were served and folks could socialize. Only stateroom passengers were allowed in here; those paying for deck passage fended for themselves on the semi-open main deck. The forward-most staterooms would be used by the captain, pilot, clerk, and engineer, then a few mens' staterooms, then a larger room on each side used as galley & storage, then more staterooms aft. Generally the aft-most section of the main cabin was carpeted and reserved for ladies & families only, along with the aft-most staterooms, to save their exposure to cigars, spittoons, cursing, and other male tendencies of the period. 
 

 
The boiler deck has a slight, but clear, sheer both fore and aft (especially aft). So I couldn't just assemble nice, straight walls and set them down, I had to account for the curvature of the deck. The longitudinal walls were built in three sections, with notches to help each fit together. I filed slight angles into these joints, so that the sections fit together in a subtle curve, matching the deck. I cheated slightly with these, using sheets of pre-scribed wood rather than building frames for individual planks, as I did for the main deck structures. However, I did build all the doors and windows from scratch, as advised by the commentariat.
 
In the photo above, the top row are the two ends of the cabin structure (one turned over to show the bracing for the walls), the middle row are the outer walls of the port staterooms, and the lower row are the inner walls of the port staterooms. Lady for scale. I only build the port-side walls, leaving the starboard side open for views of the inner main cabin.
 

 
I started installing the walls by clamping squares across the deck to guide the fore end (not sure "bulkhead" is appropriate in this context). Then I glued guide strips of scrap wood along the deck, inside the runs of the port walls where they wouldn't be seen, and used these as gluing and clamping guides for the walls. Each 1/3 wall was glued in, then the next one sanded to fit and glued in, then the last one.
 

 
Above is the completed cabin structure. By not exposing the interior of the port staterooms, I was better able to support and straighten them with internal stringers. In return, I built two open-sided staterooms at the fore and aft end of the starboard side, to allow a view of the interiors, but left the rest open for better internal views and light. The main cabin should have tables, chairs, wood stoves, chandeliers, and so on, but I'm not up for building all that right now. I'll always have access to this area if I choose to detail it later on.
 

 
A closeup view showing how small these staterooms were, just two bunk beds at most 6' long and perhaps a small cubby for hanging clothes. These were rough frontier boats, not the floating palaces of the lower Mississippi River. Toilets and laundry facilities were at the stern, and will be built and explained in a later post. In this photo you can also see that I managed to install the forgotten engine vent stacks just fine (note: the main smokestacks were actually called "chimneys" on riverboats; I don't know if this terminology extends to smaller stacks).
 

 
Main cabins had a raised clerestory with skylights along the length, allowing light into this central area. Thus I needed to build two of these long, narrow structures complete with regular windows, but strong enough to span the open, unsupported stretch on the starboard side. I did this by laying out two parallel beams on double-sided tape, then setting my cutter to the inside dimension and cutting lots of filler pieces. Using spacers, I laid out the window pattern along the whole structure, then glued in the spacers. When the whole assembly had dried, I peeled it off the tape, sanded it smooth, and painted it. I built two of these one right above the other, so I could visually line up the spacers and ensure the two pieces were identical.
 

 
And here's the result, along with a good start on the beams supporting the hurricane deck (supposedly named for the constant breeze up there).
 

 
And here's a better overall view from an angle, giving a sense of the cabin's overall structure and placement. 
 
Next tasks:
Frame in the rest of the hurricane deck (also serving as the cabins' roof), which extends forward as far as the boiler deck does, but aft only to the end of the cabins. In other words, the forward boiler deck is covered but the after boiler deck is open. Build the aft-most structure, housing the pit toilets (opening into the wheel) and laundry. Lay out and install the hog chains, iron rods which extend longitudinally through multiple decks and support the fore and aft weight of the boat, preventing it from hogging (particularly from the weight of the sternwheel). When I started this project, I had hoped to complete it by the end of the year. That seems unlikely now, but the end is nevertheless in sight. It's exciting to see the Bertrand really taking on its full form, beyond the barge-like appearance it's had for so long. No music this time, too busy to come up with something interesting. Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas or whatever seasonal salutation warms your cockles. 

Index of this build
This is an idea I had partway through this build. The idea is to provide an outline of the build so future readers can find information more easily without wading through the entire comment thread or trying to find the right search terms. It's now linked in the opening post of this log.
 
Edit: I wrote up a whole post about this, intending to post it as a new idea, only to find that it had already been proposed last year. But I added my original idea writeup anyway, in case it's of interest to anyone. 
 
Laying out hull frames, first attempt
 
Reconsidering hull framing with new information
 
Laying out hull frames, second attempt
 
Hull framing continued, starting on bow & stern
 
Correcting stern framing, continuing stern & bow framing
 
Completing hull framing
 
Adding guard framing
 
Questioning bow planking
 
Adding deck beams
 
Planking the bow (following some excellent suggestions/discussion)
 
Planking, sanding, and painting hull; starting deck planking
 
Building the rudders; continuing deck planking
 
Building the paddle wheel
 
Images & information from re-visiting the Bertrand museum at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa
 
Discussion of steamboat wrecks on the Missouri
 
Engines & drivers
 
Main deck structures, framing in the boiler deck, hog chain braces
 
Boilers, main deck staircase, beginning boiler deck planking
 
Boiler deck completed, building main cabin structure with stateroom interiors
 
Framing & planking the hurricane deck, building the outhouses
 
Discussion of paddlewheel color
 
Pilot house, chimneys, railings, and the nearly completed model
 
Grasshopper spars
 
Final details
 
Final photos, part I
 
Final photos, part II

Index of this build
This is an idea I had partway through this build. The idea is to provide an outline of the build so future readers can find information more easily without wading through the entire comment thread or trying to find the right search terms. It's now linked in the opening post of this log.
 
Edit: I wrote up a whole post about this, intending to post it as a new idea, only to find that it had already been proposed last year. But I added my original idea writeup anyway, in case it's of interest to anyone. 
 
Laying out hull frames, first attempt
 
Reconsidering hull framing with new information
 
Laying out hull frames, second attempt
 
Hull framing continued, starting on bow & stern
 
Correcting stern framing, continuing stern & bow framing
 
Completing hull framing
 
Adding guard framing
 
Questioning bow planking
 
Adding deck beams
 
Planking the bow (following some excellent suggestions/discussion)
 
Planking, sanding, and painting hull; starting deck planking
 
Building the rudders; continuing deck planking
 
Building the paddle wheel
 
Images & information from re-visiting the Bertrand museum at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa
 
Discussion of steamboat wrecks on the Missouri
 
Engines & drivers
 
Main deck structures, framing in the boiler deck, hog chain braces
 
Boilers, main deck staircase, beginning boiler deck planking
 
Boiler deck completed, building main cabin structure with stateroom interiors
 
Framing & planking the hurricane deck, building the outhouses
 
Discussion of paddlewheel color
 
Pilot house, chimneys, railings, and the nearly completed model
 
Grasshopper spars
 
Final details
 
Final photos, part I
 
Final photos, part II