Roger Pellett

What with the epidemic of greed which defines the current era,  there is a high probability that any plans would rival the kit in how much is the cost.
If you have the materials and facilities to fabricate the model from its plans, the parts of the kit itself can be used as 3D plans for to fabricate a total replacement model using appropriate species of wood.
 
Just a suggestion.
 
 

I'd agree with Jaager. If the kit doesn't cost too much, buy it and use the pieces as a template to build a proper model from decent timber.
 
Steven

Great project, John!  Looking forward to following your progress.
 
It is interesting the way that the highly successful paddle steamer design migrated from the Mississippi River Basin to the West Coast.  American readers may remember the famous Delta Queen that cruised on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers into the 1990’s (?). Living in an Ohio River Town we could hear her steam calliope from our house each time she visited.  Although billed as an “Old South” river boat, she was built for and initially traveled on the US West Coast, in particular, the Sacramento River.  Her design resembles your Klondike rather than any than any Mississippi River Basin Steamer.  I believe that she is laid up somewhere in Tennessee.
 
Roger
 

Greetings fellow modelers.   Thank you for your comments and likes!
 
 
Here's a short update.  The hull has been cut away from the station form extensions using a 1.25” diameter circular saw chucked into a Dremel rotary tool.  This is a somewhat dicey procedure because the rotating blade is just looking for an excuse to hop from the cut and remove a chunk of sheer strake instead.  But a strong grip on the tool keeps a pinched blade from jumping and makes quick work of the task at hand.  However, I do not recommend this method to sensible modelers.
 

 

 
 
Even though the hull planks were edge glued to each other, I decided to add reinforcing card strips between the station forms, which I glued into place with breathtaking amounts of CA.  Finally, I “painted” the entire interior with a 50/50 water/PVA solution to resist warping caused by humidity swings.
 

 
 
In the previous post I pointed out a few hull planks that were recessed - not flush with the adjacent planks.  I used wood shavings to build them up and then sanded them back.
 

 

 
 
Also, I removed material from the lower hull planks at the keel and stern post.  These planks previously stood proud and are now flush.  A shout-out to John, Andy and Håkan for clearing this matter up for me.  Being primarily a model builder with a secondary interest in boats/ships, my understanding of boat construction at the nuts-and-bolts level on anything larger than an open boat is a bit sketchy.  The knowledge base and ready willingness of MSW members to help, inform and encourage has made every model that I've built on this forum better and more accurate because of that input.  Thank you!
 

 
 
More hull filing/sanding and cleaning up is still needed.  And I've done nothing yet to finish the backbone assembly. 
 

 

 

 
Thanks for stopping by.
 
Be safe and stay well.
 
Gary

Paul,  From a Naval Architect’s perspective, you are exactly right.  Determining the waterline at which a vessel will float requires knowing two things:
 
1.  The weight of water displaced with the vessel assumed to be floating at several waterlines shown on the lines drawing.  The results of this calculation can be plotted as a curve displacement vs waterline height.
 
2.  The weight of the ship in different load conditions.
 
With this information, the draft of the vessel can be picked off for any load condition.  In 1800 there were several methods for calculating displacement from the shape of the hull.  These ranged from numerical approximations calculated manually, but based on techniques similar to the computer algorithms used today to actually measuring the quantity of water displayed by immersing a model in a tub of water.
 
The big unknown for ships built in the wooden ship era was the weight of the ship itself.  Shipbuilding management systems were simply not capable of accurately predicting how much of the timber allocated for a particular ship would actually wind up in the finished vessel.  Iron and steel construction would eventually change this.
 
The answer to all of this would come when the vessel was launched, and the draft of the floating vessel known. With this they could pick off the weight in the as launched condition from the curve. Adding  the weight to be added to complete the ship, the armament, stores, etc. they could get a realistic estimate of the draft of the vessel in various loaded conditions.
 
My suggestion:  Coppered vessels- Follow whatever drawings you are using.  Vessels not coppered-  White or back stuff up to the bottom of the Wales.  The stuff was cheap.
 
Roger

Great project, John!  Looking forward to following your progress.
 
It is interesting the way that the highly successful paddle steamer design migrated from the Mississippi River Basin to the West Coast.  American readers may remember the famous Delta Queen that cruised on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers into the 1990’s (?). Living in an Ohio River Town we could hear her steam calliope from our house each time she visited.  Although billed as an “Old South” river boat, she was built for and initially traveled on the US West Coast, in particular, the Sacramento River.  Her design resembles your Klondike rather than any than any Mississippi River Basin Steamer.  I believe that she is laid up somewhere in Tennessee.
 
Roger
 

Great project, John!  Looking forward to following your progress.
 
It is interesting the way that the highly successful paddle steamer design migrated from the Mississippi River Basin to the West Coast.  American readers may remember the famous Delta Queen that cruised on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers into the 1990’s (?). Living in an Ohio River Town we could hear her steam calliope from our house each time she visited.  Although billed as an “Old South” river boat, she was built for and initially traveled on the US West Coast, in particular, the Sacramento River.  Her design resembles your Klondike rather than any than any Mississippi River Basin Steamer.  I believe that she is laid up somewhere in Tennessee.
 
Roger
 

Paul,  From a Naval Architect’s perspective, you are exactly right.  Determining the waterline at which a vessel will float requires knowing two things:
 
1.  The weight of water displaced with the vessel assumed to be floating at several waterlines shown on the lines drawing.  The results of this calculation can be plotted as a curve displacement vs waterline height.
 
2.  The weight of the ship in different load conditions.
 
With this information, the draft of the vessel can be picked off for any load condition.  In 1800 there were several methods for calculating displacement from the shape of the hull.  These ranged from numerical approximations calculated manually, but based on techniques similar to the computer algorithms used today to actually measuring the quantity of water displayed by immersing a model in a tub of water.
 
The big unknown for ships built in the wooden ship era was the weight of the ship itself.  Shipbuilding management systems were simply not capable of accurately predicting how much of the timber allocated for a particular ship would actually wind up in the finished vessel.  Iron and steel construction would eventually change this.
 
The answer to all of this would come when the vessel was launched, and the draft of the floating vessel known. With this they could pick off the weight in the as launched condition from the curve. Adding  the weight to be added to complete the ship, the armament, stores, etc. they could get a realistic estimate of the draft of the vessel in various loaded conditions.
 
My suggestion:  Coppered vessels- Follow whatever drawings you are using.  Vessels not coppered-  White or back stuff up to the bottom of the Wales.  The stuff was cheap.
 
Roger

Seats added. Ready to add the awning and railings.
 



I've learnt from doing this one that for the "good" version I need to make some sort of jig to ensure all the seats are identical. I was a little too casual about making these ones.
 
Steven
 

Everyone: Here is the model of the paddlewheeler that can be found at the Sternwheeler hotel in Whitehorse. I suspect its 1/4 scale as there was no display label. I apologize for the reflection in the pics. I was using my cell phone to get a few quick pics.
 
Enjoy
 
Mike Draper

On a real ship the waterline may have looked really awfu, hand-applied bottom paint just by eye ...
 
I gather for many ships a good approximation would be that the bottom paint goes up to below the wales (as Roger already pointed out) at it's deepest point. From there it would follow a horizontal line forward and backward to the stem and stern respectively. Well not exactly: in most cases the waterline was given a slight(!) curve upward towards the stem and stern. This has two psychological/aesthetic reasons: for one the hull looks more dynamic and the ship faster in that way and then, particularly larger wooden ships tend to 'hog' with time, meaning that the ends begin to hang down, because of the stresses on the hull in the sea; an upward curve of the painted 'waterline' compensates for this.
 

The never-ending deck detail.  Arresting wires.  Guessed at them as no detail from MK1 and no on-line photos or drawings I could find.  Probably in some book.

Thankee Roger!  Brilliant reply, which I tend to understand from previous experience and developed primitive Excel predictions of modern vessels' cargo capacity under circumstances of departure and arrival port limitations.  At best, these were approximations, with ships more resembling cubic boxes than my ... elegant British cutter's sleek hull shape.  And, in terms of "ancient" wooden sailing vessels, I feel it's very much a matter of appearance, if not outright copycat behavior.  And I suppose, as (and to the degree that) my modelbuilding progresses, I assume I may not necessarily continue in a completely "correct" manner.  Such as leaving out the cannon altogether, saving (fickle) future time.  And I'm deeply worried about how on earth I'll manage the rigging.  But that's a motivation to continue!
Paul
 

Interesting project!  Not specifically related to Florida waters but they supposedly said these old steamboats “could float on a heavy dew.”
 
Roger

Paul,  From a Naval Architect’s perspective, you are exactly right.  Determining the waterline at which a vessel will float requires knowing two things:
 
1.  The weight of water displaced with the vessel assumed to be floating at several waterlines shown on the lines drawing.  The results of this calculation can be plotted as a curve displacement vs waterline height.
 
2.  The weight of the ship in different load conditions.
 
With this information, the draft of the vessel can be picked off for any load condition.  In 1800 there were several methods for calculating displacement from the shape of the hull.  These ranged from numerical approximations calculated manually, but based on techniques similar to the computer algorithms used today to actually measuring the quantity of water displayed by immersing a model in a tub of water.
 
The big unknown for ships built in the wooden ship era was the weight of the ship itself.  Shipbuilding management systems were simply not capable of accurately predicting how much of the timber allocated for a particular ship would actually wind up in the finished vessel.  Iron and steel construction would eventually change this.
 
The answer to all of this would come when the vessel was launched, and the draft of the floating vessel known. With this they could pick off the weight in the as launched condition from the curve. Adding  the weight to be added to complete the ship, the armament, stores, etc. they could get a realistic estimate of the draft of the vessel in various loaded conditions.
 
My suggestion:  Coppered vessels- Follow whatever drawings you are using.  Vessels not coppered-  White or back stuff up to the bottom of the Wales.  The stuff was cheap.
 
Roger

All right, you lot got your way! I went to the hardware store and got some brass tubing to play with. Here's the resulting second draft of the chimneys. I scored them using a razor saw to simulate the joints. I shaved/sanded a wooden plug to fit tightly in the bottom of each so they'd sit and attach properly. Don't judge their exact angle, they're just sitting there as a test-fit.
 



I also moved forward on the pilot house; here's its current status. I used some clear plastic and CA formulated not to craze plastic. Not entirely happy with the outcome but it's too late now. Guess it looks like old glass. It'll certainly blend into the background of the finished model.
 



Sharp eyes will notice that I simulated the gap into which the lower half of the wheel vanishes by just putting down a thin dark piece of wood. It'll be barely visible in the finished pilot house and I didn't think building in the full gap and wheel was worth it. I still need to weather the steps to match the pilot house floor.
 
Next up I need to decide whether to try blackening the brass, or painting it with primer and then black paint. Also whether to try roughing it up with fine sandpaper or leaving it smooth. Will do some test pieces since there's tubing left over.
 
Thanks for pushing me to improve my work!

Lots of input to consider here, thank you! One note, Roger, great idea, but there isn't any natural mica within probably 800 miles of here!

Further planking of the rear castle.
I started with the part that was planked according to the clinker build method. These planks were not sawn but made from tree trunks that were split. length of the planks no longer than 2.70 meters
The first of these planks was tapered.

Above the tapered plank it is marked how high the upper plank may be

Further planking

And then there was a week's holiday in the sun, which was put to good use doing research .

Back home and continue planking. The intention is to have 6 layers of clinker build, in total I should end up with 9. Above that there will be shields.

That's why I first have to place the 2 dales, which determine the correct location of the upper deck in the rear castle

English lesson :
Dale.. old English word. The intention of these two dales is to drain the pumped water from the hold outside.
And if you have to pee....Do it in the dale (so their 2nd name : pisdale... 😳)

Your keel rabbit looks like it’s coming out nicely!

Interesting project!  Not specifically related to Florida waters but they supposedly said these old steamboats “could float on a heavy dew.”
 
Roger

Interesting project!  Not specifically related to Florida waters but they supposedly said these old steamboats “could float on a heavy dew.”
 
Roger

Building ship models can involve solving such a wide rage of problems that it really depends on what you’re trying to do.  
 
For gluing wood to wood commonly available PVA glue; the yellow stuff.  Elmer’s, Titebond, both work fine. Possibly other brands too.  IMHO, it’s all the same stuff.  Requires clamping pressure.
 
Special gluing problems like lightly loaded or interlocking metal to wood joints: Nitrocellulose based glue. Nitrocellulose based clear fingernail polish works great.  It also works for wood-wood joints where clamping pressure cannot be applied.  Duco is its the same stuff, just thicker.
 
For larger wood metal joints, Epoxy.  I especially like JB Weld, it’s easy to squeeze out a couple of blobs and mix.  Eyeball can judge 1:1 proportions.
 
CA Glues:  Don’t use!!
 
Roger
 

No apologies needed. There was a lag between my posting and it being "reviewed by a moderator," before appearing. 
 
Your assesment is correct. I'm happy to have been able to offer the option that may work for you. I do want to clarify that the marking gauge will work on curved surfaces, but only to the degree that the user can control the tool so that the center of the flat, right angled "fence" remains in contact with the curved workpiece its referencing and the outer ends of the "fence" remain equidistant from the curved face of the workpiece. This tedious requirement is easily eliminated by fashioning a "shoe" for the fence that will do the job automatically.  Such as shoe should be accurately rectangular in general shape and exactly as long as the greatest width of the fence. This rectangular "shoe" should have its face which will bear on the curved edge of the workpiece cut away to clear the closest edge of the curved workpiece edge so that the extreme ends of the shoe remain to present two "points" at the shoe's end which will bear on the curved surface of the workpiece. By preventing the fence from bearing only on the closest point on the curve, these points will keep the extended bar of the marking gauge at a right angle to the center of the curved piece without the fence "wobbling." The "shoe" can be temporarily secured to the face of the gauge with a dab of hot melt glue gun glue or a piece of tape... whatever works to suit the situation. 

I thought the Rockler digital model was cute, too, so I threw it in for grins and giggles, but the Luddite in me thinks its overkill. Some of the "analog" gauges have a scale on the shaft for setting measurements, but the Fine Woodworking article on marking gauges panned the scaled shaft marking gauges. Setting the center of a strip narrow enough to accommodate the length of the gauge's shaft makes eyeballing the centerline as I described a piece of cake. If the piece to be marked is too wide to permit that technique and the gauge must be set by measurement from a single side of the workpiece, it's easily set by a rule, a dimension bar, or a "fit piece" of the proper width. Alternately, if one has a caliper, the calipers can be set to indicate a "inside" diameter equivalent to the desired width of the marking gauge's mark and then the marking gauge can be set by physically comparing the outside jaw faces of the calipers to the fence and marking point (or "wheel") of the analog marking gauge. If one already has a digital caliper, the result will be every bit as accurate as the digital marking gauge at a lower price and without the issues attendant to the batteries and electronics of the digital model. An analog marking gauge promises to be a tool that will endure rough use for several lifetimes. The digital stuff... not so much. Everybody's mileage differs, of course. 
 
Yes, I agree that the larger marking gauges will be more cumbersome in use on small stuff. The smaller marking gauges I listed were chosen with that in mind. 
 
Without manually setting to the desired placement of the marked line using a rule or comparison "fit stick," none of the marking gauges I've ever seen will automatically center the resulting marked line.
 
 The "EZ Center Finder" you linked is a plastic version of the age-old method of finding a center boatbuilders make with a stick with a hole in it and a couple of nails driven equidistant from the center of the hole. They work fine on larger pieces of stock, but the results are dependent upon the user's ability to simultaneously hold the pencil in the hole, keep both guide posts firmly against the sides of the plank, and slide it down the workpiece, which is akin to patting your head, rubbing your stomach, and chewing gum at the same time. Both sides of the workpiece must be straight and equidistant from each other at any point on the line or the line won't be straight. They're great for working with round stock like full-size spars when boatbuilding because the "guide posts" can be extended down to run on the widest part of the rounded spar and even if the spar is tapered, as they often are, you will still get a straight midline mark, which is when the gadget really comes into its own.  If one were to try to turn quarter-inch wide strip wood into eighth-inch wide strip wood, these widgets work a lot better in theory than in practice! Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.  
 
A set of proportional dividers would be great for determining the center point as well.  That said, if the reason Stuntflyer wants "to draw center lines down half-inch to quarter-inch strip wood," is to cut strips in half, I think I'd avoid the trouble of marking the workpiece at all and just use the micrometer to set the fence on my Byrnes saw and just "let'er rip!"  

$1500+ buys a lot of tools and books!