Roger Pellett

Dravo’s Neville Island yard used much the same setup.  Of course, the width of the yard’s waterfront could a bottleneck in the mass production of these simple vessels as it restricted the number of launch ways that could be built.

To overcome this Dravo had a setup where barges and towboats moved across the yard sequentially until the completed vessel reached the launch ways.  I would assume that other River yards used the same system.

I always thought that I would have liked to work at Dravo’s shipyard, but instead they wanted me at their Pipe Fabrication Division.  In the end, I was lucky.  The shipyard closed in the late 1980’s but the Pipe Fabrication continued into the early 1990’s.  By that time I had a new job here in Duluth.  I did see the yard side launch a barge- Big Splash!

Roger

The famous Great Lakes Steamship Edmund Fitzgerald that was over 600ft in length was launched sideways.  So were the rest of the 600ft+  Great Lakes vessels built in the American yards in the 1950’s.

Drydocking a ship usually requires a “docking plan” prepared by a Naval Architect. This shows the arrangement of the supports in the dry dock.  The support structure can be checked by conventional surveying methods before the dock is flooded to receive the vessel.  Any irregularities in the dock floor can be allowed for at this time.

I’ll check my copy of the Iron Ship this PM but I believe that Great Britain was built in a specially built dry dock.

Roger

In areas with large tidal ranges there were special dry docks used for building ships.  

In 1940 Great Britain contracted with the now famous “7 Companies” that built Hoover Dam to build 60 badly needed, large for the time, merchant steamships in the USA.  Since American Yards were busy, the deal included building two new shipyards; one on San Francisco Bay and another on the East Coast in Maine.  Conditions in San Francisco Bay, including tidal range were such that conventional sloped launch ways were quickly constructed.

The large tidal range in Maine required construction of dry docks.  The need to blast these docks out of Maine’s granite delayed the construction of these East Coast  Ocean Class ships by several months.

Ships on the Great Lakes built prior to the 1000 footers were traditionally launched sideways.  The smaller Navy Combatants being built by Fincarii Marine in Wisconsin still are.  The 1000 footers were built in a dry dock.

Roger

While the flame treatment might work, a ship model with all of the flammable stuff on board, wood glue paint, etc is a fire just waiting to happen.  You could be left with a pile of ashes or worse.

Re rig it!
 

Roger

A while ago, I bought  a set of broaches on Amazon, Made and shipped from England.  They are triangular files without teeth. The smallest is about 1/32” and the largest 1/8”.  They would work for truing up your holes.  They would be less aggressive than than files.

 Roger

I haven’t painted any 54mm for over a year but recently became interested in doing so between work on my current ship modeling project.  Like the kit ship my figure stash has too many figures representing different interests when I bought them.  My first step is to finish my collection of American Civil War figures starting with the last of several mounted Union Cavalry Men.  My objective is to improve my technique before moving onto more difficult subjects. I have outfitted myself with a wet palette, mechanical paint mixer, and fingernail striping brushes should arrive soon.

My first subject is the Cavalry horse.  I became interested in trying the technique of “pre-shading” via posts on building a Titanic model here on MSW.  The idea seems to shade selected primed areas with a dark color and then paint over with tin coats of a lighter color.  The horse has large enough areas to allow airbrushing.  Using it on figures might not work.

Roger

Allan,  Thanks!
 

I’ve been to the New York Yacht Club’s Model Room.  SNAME (The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers) has their annual meeting every fall.  I’ve never been a SNAME member but the University of Michigan’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department always has an event for their alumni during the week that SNAME meets.  One year SNAME was meeting in New York and Michigan had their event in the model room.  I used that opportunity to make a sales call nearby and drove into the city.  As can be imagined, it’s a fabulous collection.

Roger

Paul,  My thoughts exactly.  I believe that Peking was not scrapped but was sent to Hamburg, Germany and restored.

Roger

One of people who rigged Wavertree used to be a MSW member.  He went by the name of Jersey City Frankie.  He has not posted for several years but if you are interested you should be able to find a series of his posts about rigging her.  Use the Search function.

The clippers, and Wavertree, were tramps.  Unlike the packets that sailed to England from New York, they didn’t sail on fixed schedules.  When in port they would advertise for cargos and sail when full. Stays in port could be lengthy depending on economic conditions.  It was, therefore, common to strike sails and rigging not required to handle yards below.  Sails and rigging were expensive and subject to damage by the elements.  Labor was cheap.

Re; The rust bucket comment: Visiting New York sometime between 2015 and 2019 I made a point of visiting South Street Seaport.  To say the least, I was disappointed.  Exhibits in what is supposed to be the museum itself were minimal.  I thought that Wavertree was nicely restored but I don’t recall being able to visit other ships.  Unless something dramatic has happened in the last five years, New York still lacks a first class museum dealing with it’s important maritime heritage.

Roger

The museum at Portsmouth, I believe it’s now called the Royal Navy Museum used to have a full sized realistic figure of Admiral Nelson in his full dress uniform.  It was arranged so you didn’t see it until you came around a corner.  It was quite startling.  He appeared to be much smaller than we usually visualize such heroic people.

Maybe a Lady Hamilton to keep him company? 😀

Roger

I think that this old U S Navy expression must apply to you Steven:

”If you can’t get your job done during the 24 hour day, work nights!”

Or perhaps days are longer Down Under.

😀😀😀😀

Roger

A nice project, well executed!

Determining the correct scale is of course important as it will determine sizes of all of the fittings that you intend to scratch build.  As an ex Coast Guard Officer, you obviously know that the “length” of a vessel has several definitions; length overall, register length, etc.  Before getting too far down the road, you might want to double check scale by using a dimension less subject to interpretation.  I would suggest that you compare the beam of your model with the published beam.

You are fortunate to live in my favorite small town.  Mystic has it all; a great museum, beautiful architecture, and good restaurants.  I grew up in Northeastern Ohio which was ounce the state of Connecticut’s Western Reserve.  Many of the small towns  in that part of Ohio share Mystic’s timeless quality with their white Federal Style homes and Churches.  The row of houses  just across the river, from the Seaport is particularly impressive. 

Roger.

I enjoy reading the plastic modeling posts on MSW as you guys are real artists when it comes to subtle painting effects.

I would like to try your scheme on my current project, the Great Lakes freighter Benjamin Noble .  It has a black hull.  
 

Is the white brush applied? Randomly?  Is the fan in the background serving some paint related purpose?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Roger

I believe that everything being hand made should also be a selling feature. In this case it’s also cheaper as it  appears that you are donating time and materials.  Printing materials and labor would be out of pocket costs.

I join others in lifting my virtural hat to you!  Building 13 of the same model !

Roger

Looks good to me!

Haven’t visited for quite a while.  Outstanding work and nice progress.

Roger

Piping has a certain logic.  High point vents, low point drains, bypasses around some eqipment and valves, and loops to absorb expansion and contraction in long runs.  There are industry standards for fittings like elbows, tees, flanges, etc.  Long Radius ells are formed to a radius of 1.5 nominal pipe diameters, eg a 4in nominal sized elbow is formed on a 6in radius although the outside diameter of the fitting and pipe that it welds to is 4.5in.  Metric pipe sizes while specified in metric dimensions usually correspond to American pipe sizes.  Pipe bends are usually specified in nominal pipe diameters too;  3 dia, 5dia, etc.  Unlike fittings, which are purchased from a manufacturer, bends would be made at the shipyard or by specialized pipe fabricators (where I worked for most of my career).

Roger

Thanks Maurino.  I’m enjoying watching you build this model.

Roger

The only thing negative about MSW is seeing familiar names disappear and hearing of others closing down their shops because of downsizing.

By most people’s standards I am OLD but I still keep chugging along and keep dreaming about ship modeling projects I’d like to do if and when I finish my present one.  There is a large senior living facility nearby offering different levels of care that will be open soon.  They advertise all of their amenities  on the 5PM local news.  Conspicuously absent is a workshop!  The whole idea of moving into a place like this gives me the creeps.

Here’s hoping that you keep finding projects that you just can’t resist.

Roger

If you are going to buy plans get the best.  David MacGregor was a serious student of sailing ships.  You can rely on his work.  His Thermopylae drawings are reproduced in one of his several books.  His lines drawing beautifully captures the ship’s shape.

Almost 15£ Spent on Conwall’s drawing just allows you to reproduce the Sergal kit model with whatever limitations it has.

Roger

Nice Model!

The picture posted below hangs in my living room and was painted, supposedly in Venice, in about 1898 by the relative of a family friend.  He gave it to my parents in 1932 as a wedding present.

I thought that I would post it here to see if you could identify the type of watercraft.  It might be what you are building.

Roger

I just stumbled on to this; an interesting project that I’m looking forward to seeing nicely done.

The US Navy had some specialized and interesting small boats outfitted to service their fleet of flying boats while still in the water.  If you look in their 1955/1954? Boat Book you will find drawings of these craft.  One could make a great companion to your model. A copy of their Boat Can be found on the Navy’s history site.  Or Google Navy Aircraft Refueling Boat

Roger

Also, check out the articles for other ships in the book.  You may find some useful examples of hull structure for Lake built vessels.  I think tat you will find your local library in tracking down  a copy.  This is one of those books that deserves to held in your hand.

Roger

An interesting project, well done!
 

Since this will be on public display just hope that kids don’t sneak in and try to shoot this thing!😀😀  But then Dutch kids are probably better behaved then American ones.

Roger