Chuck

Okay Folks,   back for some more fun and excitement in the land of mayflower construction!
 
Tonight, the goal was to continue deck items in order to be ready for rigging adventures this weekend/next week,  so tonight was knights and pumps.    In reviewing this all I can see I forgot something - but if nobody notices I will just sneak it in there and none will be the wiser =).
 
Anyway,  to make up the pumps here is the route I took for those who may be intersted.
 
First, I am really not adept and handling and working with the small parts and pieces yet, so trying to cut the cylynders and wall them up was really giving me pain.  So, I tried a different approach.   It took a dowel and cut it down some , about 5 inches or so I then took some narrow strips and cut them to about 3 inches and wrapped the dowel in them.   This is what would be the cylynder blank.   The idea is to cut the section I need for the cylynder and if something happesn I have more material already done up to try again.   This time around I didn't need it however.
 
Anywho =)
 
The Blank was then taped up to allow for drying.
 

 

 
Once that was dried I had some gaps between the planked wall so using some hobby light i filled it all in, this would smooth out the transitions as well as stain a hair darker than the wood and look like caulking/sealing material (i hoped).
 

 
Cleaned up the blank,  removing filler material from the faces of the planks and cleaning up any errant glue that may be on there.  I just used a small cotton pad and some alchohol and wiped it all down.  Works like a champ!
 

 
Then I went ahead and measured the lenght of the cylinders I needed for the pumps.   I taped them up at the cut marks in order to hold the unit together when the saw hit it and didn't vibrate loose or splinter.  There are three cut marks,  the first is to trim the end flush, the second two are the breakpoints for the cylinders.
 

 
Using my handy dandy Microlux cut off saw I cut them cylinders nice and neat!
 

 

 
Going by CHucks instructions I grabbed the proper wood in accordance with the booklet and cut, shaped and carved the handles and drilled holes into the cylinders.
 

 
I took some Tamiya masking tape (yellow),  sharpied it black and trimmed it to size to use as the bands on the pumps.  Assembled them all up and whalla - finally I have some pumps!!
 

 
I got them installed on the deck and all is good with the world!!  (also got a knight on there as well)
 

 
 
My HUGE apologies for any grevious spelling or grammar mistakes throughout this,  it is a little late - been at this most of the evening and wanted to get this update in before i retired for the evening.
 
Am very much on a mission here so I am sensing some late nights in my future =)
 
 
Thanks all for stopping in!

Good Evening all!
 
Put the programming and gaming and what not aside for the last two days (today and yesterday) and spent a nice relaxing quiet time in the hobby room with the admiral.   She spent it working on her beads and looming and I with my ship.  Good times.
 
I will apologize however,  kind of got in a groove and just started going at it and didn't realize until it was far too late that I hadn't snagged pictures along the way
 
So,  a breif written description of what was done.
 
My goal is to be rigging end of this week / beginning of next week.  So I have to keep moving on the deck fixtures/fittings etc and get that all wrapped up.
 
The last two days were spent building ladders and railings and belaying pin racks and rudders OH MY!!
 
Everything has been pretty much by the book.  I used basswood for the belaying pin racks so they would match the overall color of the ship and the kevels.  Those were straightforward.  Cut them all up with "the chopper", drilled the right number of holes and placed the pins.  The only bit of drama with this came when I realize I was shorted on pins .  That was okay, needed some more blacken it anyway for future projects so ordered more pins and blacken it and will return to the missing pin racks when they show up.
 
The rudder was also straight from the plans,  the laser cut part was fantastic and after a bit of fidgeting with the brass for the pintel and gudgeons (?   Still learning my Terminology) I got that part all hooked up, painted up and purty like!
 
The ladders were a bit of a fight.  Got them cut to shape and again using the chopper got the steps all the same size,  just getting them all lined up, straight but at the right pitch, glued to both risers... ugh.
 
Finally it was the railings and the bell housing.  I used the bell that came with the kit, gave it a base coat of dark gray metallic and then painted over it lightly with acrylic gold.  The railings were all Pear to go with the other accented wood parts.  Epoxied into place to give them some strength then stained all over with the same 2:1 Golden Oak to blend it all together.
 
All in all I think it was a pretty good couple of days.  Now to work on the knightheads (?), and the pumps and await the incomming pins.  Once those are all set just need to finish off the beakhead (a grate and a pin rack and the outer fixings) and I will be ready to start the fun fun fun stuff (I think).
 
Here is where she sits at the moment, drying and awaiting the next round!
 

 
Enjoy and thanks for stopping in!!
 
 

Hello to all who are following this build -
 
It has been a while since my last posting.  Summertime had a lot to do with it, but I also took some time away to work on a short-term and time critical project.  So here is a little diversion from this build.  It may merit a separate file, but as you will see later on, it is incomplete.
 
I was asked to restore a  presentation model of a modern container ship.  The CMA-CGM Vivaldi was built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. in their Makpo Shipyard in South Korea.   Launched in December, 2004 she was 334 meters LOA with a breadth of 42.3 m (just under 1100 ft LOA, 140 ft breadth).  Its carrying capacity was not listed on the dimensions plaque on the model, but it is huge.  Here she is in a photo from the company website of CMA-CMG Shipping, which owns and operates her as part of one of the world’s largest fleets of container ships.
 
1
 
The model was likely built in the same shipyard as a gift to thank CMA-CGM for the contract and was presented at the time of launch.  It is built to the small scale of 1:200, but the model is still 5 ½ feet long.  Given that the price for the ship was in the millions of dollars, it is not surprising that a good deal of care went into the construction of this presentation model. 
 
It was probably kept in one of their offices, perhaps in their headquarters in Marseille, for the last decade but then was presented in turn to a financing company in Stamford, Connecticut.  It was during the delivery of the model that things went bad.
 
Here is the crate that it came in.  You can see that although there is no obvious damage to the box itself, one of the bottom cleats is missing. 
 
2
 
I was called in when the box was opened and it was found that one of the glass panels of the case was cracked and there was some damage to the model. My first overall impression was that this was not going to be a hard job.  Some of the containers had been detached from their mountings and were tipped over, but they were still on deck and in a line.  The superstructure was in place and there was no evident damage to the hull.
 
3
 
Closer examination revealed that the devil had been playing in the details.  A large number of small pieces were lying on the blue felt base and some had even become trapped in the channel that the glass case sat in.  Fortunately many of them, including some quite complex assemblies, appeared undamaged like the one in the center of the photo.
 
4
 
 
A repair proposal was discussed, a fee agreed to, and work began with the recovery and conservation of any detached parts.  Once the wrapping of clear plastic was removed the impact point could be seen.  It was clear that there had been one sharp blow which had chipped and cracked the glass panel, but without separating it from the rest of the case. 
 
Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of impact that cyano glue does not like.  With the help of JerseyCityFrankie the glass cover was removed and all of the loose parts were carefully collected.  The detached container units were numbered from the bow to the stern on sticky notes and set aside.  The grey railing units could not be immediately identified, but they were put into one container for later study.  All of the smaller parts such as the lifeboats, ladders, white railings, and various unknown pieces were put in another.
 
8
9
 
Now the full extent of the damage could be seen and assessed.  Along the edges of the hull most of the railings and stanchions were broken off, leaving unpainted spots showing where they had been attached.  At the stern there was additional damage where the railings and ladders had been crushed and even some pieces of the rigid styrene components had been broken.  When everything that was loose had been removed the deck was almost nude other than two container units at the bow that had somehow managed to remain in place.  This was packed up in bubble wrap and taken back to the studio in Brooklyn, NY.
 
12
 
The superstructure which had initially appeared to be generally sound was found to have suffered the most damage.  In additional to losing both lifeboats, most of the railing on the aft face was gone, as were numerous small parts for the lifeboat cranes.  All of the various radars and antennas on the topmost level were missing.  Most significantly, the starboard bridge wing was broken off almost completely. 
 
13
 
Although the proper locations of many of the pieces could be deduced from what they were, there were a great deal more that could have gone anywhere.  Fortunately the company had a second presentation model of the same ship, the Vivaldi.  A series of photographs were taken of the other model to guide the restoration.
 
Here is the bow, showing the white lookout mast which had been detached on the damaged model.  The ladder and safety cage had been separated and crushed, but now I could see how they had to be repaired.
 
14
 
Those gray railing units turned out to be catwalks that fit between the container units.  They sat on top of U-shaped pieces that supported the containers.  Photoetched ladders gave access to upper catwalks which were bordered by photoetched brass railings.  3-bar railings edged the deck all along the sides of the ship.
 
15a
 
The superstructure had 8 deck levels with a full array of electronic equipment on top.
 
16
 
This area was going to be the most challenging, with radars and antenna that were all made up of very small parts that were quite similar to each other.  The photographs that I was sent were not completely helpful in specifying what went where.  Fortunately, using my Photoshop program I could take the image provided and enlarge it, remove the color, and play with the brightness and contrast until I could see almost all of the details.
 
17
18
 
Now that I had the undamaged model as a guide I could start the actual repairs.  The first thing was to reassemble all of the catwalks.  Some were in pretty good shape, but others had been mauled, with most of the parts separated, some of the plastic parts broken off, and the photoetched brass rails badly bent.  Here is one of the catwalks with all its pieces and a second one after restoration.  There were 21 of these in all, which took up about half of the total restoration time.
 
19
 
Now for the incomplete part -
 
The next several weeks were spent doing the restoration.  I took construction photos as I went, as usual, but had not gotten around to downloading them. [i know you can see the problem coming . . . ]  Soon after I took the last photograph, my daughter and her two boys came over.  One is the newborn, the other 2 years old.  While I was doting on the young one, the other found the camera.  He likes to push buttons.  Enough said. 
 
Let me describe what I did, and I hope you can follow along using photos of the completed repair.
 
All of the least damaged catwalks were put back together.  Since there were small variations in how the bases had broken off of the hull I could locate about two thirds in their original positions, fitting them together like a jigsaw puzzle.  They were numbered and set aside.  One by one the rest were repaired until there were only two left, which were severely bent, with missing parts.  Some replacement parts were fabricated from bent wire, and others from brass shim.  Missing ladders were replaced with similar ones from the spares box.
 
21
 
Starting at the bow and working aft the containers and catwalks were glued to the cleaned up hull.  The containers sit on the corners of the catwalk bases and on a square stanchion between the forward and aft bases located on both edges of the deck.  This gives six attachment points for the double wide containers and four each for the single wide ones.  These also broke off irregularly.  Although each container unit was numbered when it was removed, several ones were out of order, and I had not recorded the orientation of the unit.  Each one was test fit to the proposed location and the irregularities let me confirm the original locations.
 
21a
 
The superstructure was the biggest challenge.  I first relocated the lifeboats and repaired their cranes.  Railings which were bent were carefully bent back and glued.  Some that had been detached were too badly bent to repair.  I had 3-bar railing of the right size in my spares box, but the rails were a bit thinner than those on the model.  I used them to replace the railings that would not be seen easily between the aft face of the superstructure and the container unit behind it.  Then I cannibalized the model railings from that area to replace railings in more obvious locations.
 
22
 
The photos that I miss most are those of the repair of the starboard bridge wing.  Here the impact had broken the brittle styrene that made up the bridge deck and the angled and pierced supports on the fore and aft faces.  The detached pieces had kicked around and were now mostly unusable shards.  I first carefully cut the damaged section away in a straight line across the deck with a miniature keyhole saw.  A piece of similarly thick styrene was cut to fit and glued in and the joint sanded smooth.  Artists acrylic paints were mixed to match the green of the deck  The shape of the aft diagonal support piece was traced from the existing one on the port side and cut out, fitted and finished. It was spray painted gloss white before being installed.  The end cap was similarly fitted.  All joints were cleaned up and touch-up painted.
 
22a
 
Using the photographs of the undamaged model the fittings and fixtures on the upper electronics decks on top of the wheelhouse were located.  Antennas, radars, and lightning rods were all glued in with cyano.  Nothing special here, just a delicate touch and perseverence.
 
23
 
Final small detail parts were installed and all of the spots where paint was chipped or missing were touched up and the model was carefully examined to find bent railings and other defects.  I know that I got almost all of them, but I also know that a few got bye, but I'm not telling where. 
 
A new glass case was ordered and delivered from a local custom glass shop.  So here is the completed model ready for delivery to the customer.  It was driven back to Stamford, CT, with a nervous moment for every pothole and road repair that I couldn't avoid.  It survived completely intact and was installed in the office to gratifying compliments from the customer.
 
24
 
Hope you enjoyed the divertimento.  Getting back to the QAR now.  A new build log post soon.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 
 

Bob 
 
Yes it works quite well with Boxwood too!!
 
The trick I think is the heat from the hair dryer.  It relaxes the fibers.    As long as you let the strip cool down and set,  it is OK.  But like you you said.  It must be clamped down to avoid any buckling.  
 
Chuck

Like the forward platform, I wanted to use a spacer of some sort to support the template at the correct height inside the hull.  This one turned out to be a little more involved, but it wasn't difficult to make.

A rough form of the template was laid on top of the spacer, and small pieces of card stock were glued in place to get the final shape.


The planks for the platform were joined together by cutting shallow grooves in the bottom of each plank, and gluing thin strips in the grooves.  Even though still quite thin, the assembly was fairly rigid.

I'll explain in my next post why I didn't run that middle strip all the way across.

The last photo shows the shape of the template transfered to the platform, which is ready for shaping.
 
BobF
 

Bruce ...dont forget to introduce yourself properly to the forum in the appropriate area.  Let folks know who you are.   There is nothing more suspect than folks who sign up and simply post stuff for sale and then leave.    It happens a lot.   Folks here are so much more comfortable with these online transactions if you waited a few weeks and in teh meantime post about your cutrrent projects and your introduction to the hobby.
 
Otherwise....it gets a bit scary.   
 
Chuck

An update !  Ive committed to setting aside an hour a night 5 days a week - and Ive added the fenders and ships ladder. The fenders were tricky to get right - I used an old planking iron to get the correct bend to fit flush with the hull.  
 
After i add the channels, I suppose i need to start thinking about some sort of stand - open to suggestions - Im bummed i didn't predrill the keel to accept rods so i can use brass pedestals. 
 
 

I am often asked by folks who buy my rope how they could make it look less new.   They want to know how to give it a more weathered or even just textured look like they see on many contemporary models.   First I tell them to wait 300 years and it will look just like they want it to.
 
But then after failing to get a laugh I suggest what I have done for years.  Its quick and easy.  Its not very messy.  But it does take practice.  So I figured I would post it here.
 
Model builders have been running their standing rigging (black or brown) through a candle flame for years.   They do this to remove the fuzz.   Luckily my rope doesnt have any fuzz.  BUT.....should you run your light tan rope through a candle flame....it will pick up some nice color.   The soot from the burning candle will give your rope some texture.   Multiple passes through the candle will make it darker.
 
Running it through very quickly will create a very blotchy and uneven look so dont be afraid to take your time.   Take as much time to slowly run it through or over the flame.  You will have to practice because obviously if you go too slow it will just catch on fire.
 
Once I run it through the candle flame,  I will run the rope between my fingers.  This evenly distributes and softens the texturing.   In the photo below you will see a brand new and untouched coil of rope and behind it....that was after I ran it through the candle flame twice.  If you do it once it wont be as dark but I wanted you guys to actually see the results.
 
So if you are trying to figure out how to weather or darken the running rigging,  you might want to give this a try.  I havent tried yet....but I am also wondering if different color candles will impart a different shade of soot.....will have to try that next.  This effect came from your standard average white unscented candle.
 
Click the thumbnail for a really big version.
 

Nautical Research Guild Summer Issue is in the mail.

Become a member and get it delivered to your front door every 3 months.

 

Here are some highlights including the table of contents.

 



 

 
3D Printing and Model Ship Building
by Patrick Matthews
 
USS Arizona
by Oren Long, Jr
 
The East Indiaman Edwin Fox of 1853
by Ian Poole
 
A French War Brig
by Richard Simon
 
Coppering the Fleet and an American Entrepreneur
by Louis Arthur Norton
 
Building HMS Isis of 1776: Highlights of a Multi-Year Project
by Byron Gore
 
Modelers’ Gallery
 
Shipbuilding Literature in the Netherlands (1671-1838), Part 4
by Ab Hoving
 
 
SHOP NOTES
Making Dowels
by William E. Sproul 
 
MODELERS’ REVIEWS
An 8-inch Shear from Harbor Freight Tools
by Steve Wheeler
 
The 3D Elbow Bender from UMM-USA
 
Click here to read one of the articles....
A French War Brig
by Richard Simon
 
And here is a look at at one of the models featured in this issue.
Click on that photo to enlarge it and see what a great model Byron put together.  Its stunning.
HMS ISIS
by  Byron Gore
 

 
For more info on the Journal and the NRG please visit the website.

Just jump in!!!!!  The water is just fine.  If you break something,  Expo will replace it.  Theres no substitute for getting a feel for it without over thinking it.  Thinking about it too much leads to ship model paralysis.
 
Chuck

2014 Nautical Research Guild conference

St. Louis - October 16, 17 and 18

See the website for Details - CLICK Here

 

A new Conference format is being offered in 2014 to help make this event more affordable.  The featured tour will be held on Thursday, and the Technical Sessions, which focus on model making topics, will be held on Friday.  These two events have been switched so that those wanting to attend only the two days of classroom discussions can do so without having to incur the cost of an additional room night.

 

   At the NRG Charleston Members’ Meeting, a number of attendees suggested that round table sessions should somehow be included in the weekend schedule.  In the past, these talks were conducted on Sunday morning when most were leaving the conference.  The Friday schedule will have three guest speakers in the morning, and five round table sessions in the afternoon.  The General Sessions on Saturday will highlight topics that cover a wide range of nautical interests relating to research and history. 

 

The Conference Tour will feature a cruise aboard the Tom Sawyer, a 50-year old riverboat. The journey will take you from downtown St. Louis to Kimmswick, Missouri, a quant riverside town known for its historic homes, shopping, and antiques.  The narrated cruise will feature onboard bingo, card games, and riverstyle music.  Upon disembarking from the “Sawyer,” lunch will be served at the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery. There will also be ample time to shop and explore the town on foot.  A motor coach will be provided for transportation back to downtown St. Louis.

 

While visiting Kimmswick, guests must anticipate uneven walking terrain such as stairs and graveled pathways.  With that in mind, we cannot recommend this trip for those needing the assistance of a wheelchair, walker, or those with significant physical/heart conditions or limitations.

 

Friday Technical Sessions:

Pat Mathews – 3D Printing

Greg Grieco – Excavation of the Riverboat Heroine

David Antscherl – Building the Fireship Comet

Friday Round Table Discussions:

David Antscherl – Frieze Painting

Steve Wheeler - Electroplating

Chuck Passaro – Ropewalk Demo

Greg Herbert – Making Scale Moldings

John Vojtech – Unique Modeling Tools. 

Saturday General Sessions:

Jack Custer – Using images to take off the lines of steamboats

Dan Pariser – Comparing French & English ship building practices

Gary Lucy – Researching models and settings for paintings

Institute of Nautical Archeology – Speaker & subject to be determined

Banquet Guest Speaker

Christopher Gordon, President St. Louis Historical Museum

Topic: St Louis and The Lewis and Clark Expedition 

 

You can download the registration form from the NRG website page here.

Beautiful work...I am actually planning right now a larger version that is more detailed with floors and true framing practice.   It will be double the size and represents a 30 foot longboat.   This way the rig and details can be added without compromises for a mass produced kit.   So you will just have to build it again!!!

I just wanted to let folks know that the hotel rooms are starting to fill up now.  So dont wait to long to take advantage of the special room rate for the NRG.  AND...remember folks,  you are all associate members now and can take advantage of the NRG member conference discount when you register.  
 
I would love to see you guys in person and it will be a great time for sure.
 
Chuck

For the shrouds I used the kit supplied .021 black line and seized it with .012 tan line. White glue though better than CA still darkens the tan color more than I would like.
 

I made this simple jig for the chainplates.
 

 
The plywood square worked alright but a metal square would be better for large batches as it will hold up longer and not crush when pulling the wire around it.
 

 
Here is one glued using CA and then bent to hull shape and painted
 

 
The kit supplied deadeyes leave a lot to be desired.
 

Persistence and practice....I dont use any clips.   I use CA which is fast setting to glue teh planking and make sure they are bent to fit without any force bending.  
 
Chuck

Persistence and practice....I dont use any clips.   I use CA which is fast setting to glue teh planking and make sure they are bent to fit without any force bending.  
 
Chuck

Hi Mates,
 
A small update. Finally working on the carriage pulleys and ropes. What I thought would be monotonous has in fact been fun. I worked out, I think, a way of attaching the double pulleys to the weather deck in the same fashion as seen on the Vasa museum carriage reconstruction. I will work with bits of toothpick ends to fashion the  braces. 
 
Kudos to Syrene for Chucks excellent ropes and pulleys (:-)
 
Thanks so much for all of the "likes"as I slowly move forward......
 
 
Regards,
 
Michael
 
 

Well at last made a few hours of modeling happen this weekend - boarding ladders completed and ready to be mounted on the hull.  Baby steps - feeling re energized to wrap this one up.

Beautiful work...I am actually planning right now a larger version that is more detailed with floors and true framing practice.   It will be double the size and represents a 30 foot longboat.   This way the rig and details can be added without compromises for a mass produced kit.   So you will just have to build it again!!!

Well, so far so good.
The first garboard plank is layed. I gave the connecting edge towards the keel a slight chamfer.
Got a neat and tucked connection.

Looking fantastic Rusty!!!

Dont forget that its not just for the time...the hair dryer adds heat.  A lot of heat.  This will make it very pliable and you can get a more drastic bend or twist.   Probably another 20%.
 
Chuck

Dont forget that its not just for the time...the hair dryer adds heat.  A lot of heat.  This will make it very pliable and you can get a more drastic bend or twist.   Probably another 20%.
 
Chuck

Dont forget that its not just for the time...the hair dryer adds heat.  A lot of heat.  This will make it very pliable and you can get a more drastic bend or twist.   Probably another 20%.
 
Chuck