Bob Fraser

The longship is officially finished, just over a year from when I began it. It's spanned a rather intense period of my life, including the decline and death of my father-in-law, a lifelong scholar of Old English language and Anglo-Saxon history who was very important to me. In his final days, I stayed at his bedside night and day, at times reading Beowulf to him, including these lines:
 
You have fared in life so that far and near
Forever and ever, you will be honored…
Thus it is duly just
That one praise his prince in poem and story
And hold him in heart when he must head away
Forth from flesh elsewhere. 
 
This build is dedicated to him, as well as to my proudly Norwegian grandfather who was a mentor and role model to me, and who would have loved to see this model.
 
I can't express how much the support, advice, and discussion from all of you following this has meant in the past year. Life has been rough in many other ways beyond the above, that I don't need to go into here, but this model will always be tied to this period of life and I thank you all so much for helping me carry forward. With that being said, here are the twelve images I officially submitted to the NRG 2021 photo contest this morning (there's still time to enter your own models, the more the merrier). The first eight are required angles:
 







 
After this are four optional shots highlighting whatever details are desired. So I included this close view down the central hull:
 

 
This view of the chests, shields, and rope coils at the stern:

 
This overhead view that captures more of the cargo and deck detail:
 

 
And this shot of the crew ready for their next adventure:
 

 
 
I also took these additional shots that weren't submitted but that I also like. First, another of the crew, this time at the stern:
 

 
Then these two vertical views:
 

 
And finally, this one of the model's temporary home. I'm working on getting a full-size display cabinet for my models that will protect the large ones like this and my Arabia more efficiently than individual cases, but for now  this works pretty well:
 

 
To address the inevitable question, my next two projects won't be nearly as interesting to others. I purchased two NRG learning projects to work on my planking and scratchbuilding skills.
 
First, the half-hull planking kit, which I want to do in part or whole with wood I've cut and milled on my property:
 

 
Second, the capstan project, with the same goal for wood sourcing:
 

 
I'll do build logs for these, and am looking forward to working on something smaller for a change after this Viking behemoth!
 
Thanks, again, with all my heart for sticking with me on this voyage.

Thanks Cathead. I've raided the wifes bead store for small tubes which are crimped and painted black.

Thanks for looking in and the likes.
Nothing done yesterday, but some thought about the next move. After some consideration I've decided to leave the railings to as close to last as possible to give me some manoevering room without snapping stuff off.
So, first up today was fitting the eyes to the chimneys and decking for their tensioning lines. Then fitting the crossmember - the upper arm ends need shortening as the crown has a spike the goes centrally getting in the way.
I've installed only one line just now.

I've tried to simulate wire crimps at each end.

 
What do you think - a little large close up, or ok at the viewing distance?
 
Cheers,
Bob

Thanks @Cathead I've copied this into my riverboat resources thread with full credit 😀
 
Yesterday was a productive one.  After looking through innumerable photos of the hog posts (see above!) I realised that they were mostly square, with dimensions dependant on ship size.
 
So, back to the tooth pulling.

And out they came.
 
Squared off the holes to give a better for-aft alignment and put new posts in.

You may notice the triangular mark at the deck edge. This is for the new sternpost to suport the new stern trusses.
 

 
Cut out and
 

New stern post supplied reaching to the same height as the aft hog post with the post recessed into the deck to simulate going through to the hull framing.
 
Putting it all together with two new stern trusses to the tailboard it looks like this.
 

 
I used drilled holes and cut brass pins to simulate bolting of these pieces to each other and the deck.
 
This is how she looks now with chimney and steam escapes placed.

 
Having done this my advice to anyone watching and thinking of doing the same - hindsight is great!
Start this job early, after the main hull and cabins are finished.
1) Don't yet plank the upper decks!
2) Build and place the passenger cabins
3) Have the hurricane deck, passenger cabins and Texas deck placed but not glued
4) Decide the size of the wood to use for the hog posts. To create mine I used 2 x 62cm lengths of 4mm x 4mm for the diagonals and stern upright, 1 x       62cm length of 5mm x 4mm for the stern trusses from my store box. What you need will depend on how long you decide to cut the pieces, and the angle of the holes.
Mine came out at (2x) 10.2cm for the fore, 13.3cm for the aft, 11.7cm for the sternpost, 11.7cm for the lower truss and 14.2cm for the upper truss. Yours will pobably be different.
5) Square off the holes. I found that to get a good horizontal alignment (all hog posts and sternpost need to be in a straight line) and to pass the steam pipes I had to square them inboard of the original holes, but also check alignment with the tailboard, as the trusses have to be clear of the paddle arms. Start your cutting on the Texas deck, and angle / shape to meet the hurricane deck hole. Place the post through to the hurricane deck and mark around the hole where it meets. Remove the Texas deck and repeat the cutting to size, eventually place the Texas deck back to check for alignment and angle. Because you haven't planked the deck yet you don't have to be too neat!
6) Repeat 3 more times for the other fore and aft holes. Some larger ships had the central post, and some even doubled up on the fore / aft posts, but the central post is a personal choice now. I chose not to put one on.
7) DO NOT CUT your posts or trusses to size yet. The stern post size and truss lengths depend on the height you cut your aft hog post, as the sternpost is the same height as the hog post. This is best done once the build is much further on and before the main deck bracing and fencing is done. Remember to account for cutting angles!
 
The hog chain (iron rod) runs from the sternboard over the truss to the forepost meeting the main deck at the base of the foremost fencepost. Drilling the holes may be easier if done before glueing the upper decks in place.
 
Caveat - you do this at your own risk!  I did find a couple of photos, pages 3 and 4 at steamboat.com that show a very similar layout as AL give.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks @Cathead I've copied this into my riverboat resources thread with full credit 😀
 
Yesterday was a productive one.  After looking through innumerable photos of the hog posts (see above!) I realised that they were mostly square, with dimensions dependant on ship size.
 
So, back to the tooth pulling.

And out they came.
 
Squared off the holes to give a better for-aft alignment and put new posts in.

You may notice the triangular mark at the deck edge. This is for the new sternpost to suport the new stern trusses.
 

 
Cut out and
 

New stern post supplied reaching to the same height as the aft hog post with the post recessed into the deck to simulate going through to the hull framing.
 
Putting it all together with two new stern trusses to the tailboard it looks like this.
 

 
I used drilled holes and cut brass pins to simulate bolting of these pieces to each other and the deck.
 
This is how she looks now with chimney and steam escapes placed.

 
Having done this my advice to anyone watching and thinking of doing the same - hindsight is great!
Start this job early, after the main hull and cabins are finished.
1) Don't yet plank the upper decks!
2) Build and place the passenger cabins
3) Have the hurricane deck, passenger cabins and Texas deck placed but not glued
4) Decide the size of the wood to use for the hog posts. To create mine I used 2 x 62cm lengths of 4mm x 4mm for the diagonals and stern upright, 1 x       62cm length of 5mm x 4mm for the stern trusses from my store box. What you need will depend on how long you decide to cut the pieces, and the angle of the holes.
Mine came out at (2x) 10.2cm for the fore, 13.3cm for the aft, 11.7cm for the sternpost, 11.7cm for the lower truss and 14.2cm for the upper truss. Yours will pobably be different.
5) Square off the holes. I found that to get a good horizontal alignment (all hog posts and sternpost need to be in a straight line) and to pass the steam pipes I had to square them inboard of the original holes, but also check alignment with the tailboard, as the trusses have to be clear of the paddle arms. Start your cutting on the Texas deck, and angle / shape to meet the hurricane deck hole. Place the post through to the hurricane deck and mark around the hole where it meets. Remove the Texas deck and repeat the cutting to size, eventually place the Texas deck back to check for alignment and angle. Because you haven't planked the deck yet you don't have to be too neat!
6) Repeat 3 more times for the other fore and aft holes. Some larger ships had the central post, and some even doubled up on the fore / aft posts, but the central post is a personal choice now. I chose not to put one on.
7) DO NOT CUT your posts or trusses to size yet. The stern post size and truss lengths depend on the height you cut your aft hog post, as the sternpost is the same height as the hog post. This is best done once the build is much further on and before the main deck bracing and fencing is done. Remember to account for cutting angles!
 
The hog chain (iron rod) runs from the sternboard over the truss to the forepost meeting the main deck at the base of the foremost fencepost. Drilling the holes may be easier if done before glueing the upper decks in place.
 
Caveat - you do this at your own risk!  I did find a couple of photos, pages 3 and 4 at steamboat.com that show a very similar layout as AL give.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks @Cathead I've copied this into my riverboat resources thread with full credit 😀
 
Yesterday was a productive one.  After looking through innumerable photos of the hog posts (see above!) I realised that they were mostly square, with dimensions dependant on ship size.
 
So, back to the tooth pulling.

And out they came.
 
Squared off the holes to give a better for-aft alignment and put new posts in.

You may notice the triangular mark at the deck edge. This is for the new sternpost to suport the new stern trusses.
 

 
Cut out and
 

New stern post supplied reaching to the same height as the aft hog post with the post recessed into the deck to simulate going through to the hull framing.
 
Putting it all together with two new stern trusses to the tailboard it looks like this.
 

 
I used drilled holes and cut brass pins to simulate bolting of these pieces to each other and the deck.
 
This is how she looks now with chimney and steam escapes placed.

 
Having done this my advice to anyone watching and thinking of doing the same - hindsight is great!
Start this job early, after the main hull and cabins are finished.
1) Don't yet plank the upper decks!
2) Build and place the passenger cabins
3) Have the hurricane deck, passenger cabins and Texas deck placed but not glued
4) Decide the size of the wood to use for the hog posts. To create mine I used 2 x 62cm lengths of 4mm x 4mm for the diagonals and stern upright, 1 x       62cm length of 5mm x 4mm for the stern trusses from my store box. What you need will depend on how long you decide to cut the pieces, and the angle of the holes.
Mine came out at (2x) 10.2cm for the fore, 13.3cm for the aft, 11.7cm for the sternpost, 11.7cm for the lower truss and 14.2cm for the upper truss. Yours will pobably be different.
5) Square off the holes. I found that to get a good horizontal alignment (all hog posts and sternpost need to be in a straight line) and to pass the steam pipes I had to square them inboard of the original holes, but also check alignment with the tailboard, as the trusses have to be clear of the paddle arms. Start your cutting on the Texas deck, and angle / shape to meet the hurricane deck hole. Place the post through to the hurricane deck and mark around the hole where it meets. Remove the Texas deck and repeat the cutting to size, eventually place the Texas deck back to check for alignment and angle. Because you haven't planked the deck yet you don't have to be too neat!
6) Repeat 3 more times for the other fore and aft holes. Some larger ships had the central post, and some even doubled up on the fore / aft posts, but the central post is a personal choice now. I chose not to put one on.
7) DO NOT CUT your posts or trusses to size yet. The stern post size and truss lengths depend on the height you cut your aft hog post, as the sternpost is the same height as the hog post. This is best done once the build is much further on and before the main deck bracing and fencing is done. Remember to account for cutting angles!
 
The hog chain (iron rod) runs from the sternboard over the truss to the forepost meeting the main deck at the base of the foremost fencepost. Drilling the holes may be easier if done before glueing the upper decks in place.
 
Caveat - you do this at your own risk!  I did find a couple of photos, pages 3 and 4 at steamboat.com that show a very similar layout as AL give.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yesterday afternoon.
OK, here we go - Deep breath and let's start ripping things out! 😱
First job, removal of the centre posts. As these aren't set into the lower deck, but just glued, so a tight grip with a pair of flat pliers, quick twist and - 

Gone! Just like pulling a tooth - Ouch!
 
Next, using a scalpel to cut new plank ends and to slice and lift the old planking - 

Centre upper deck planks and deck plank gone 😨
 

Planking replaced! 😂  and new fake treenails applied.
 
I didn't do the underside of the decks like this as access, and the ability to see, is very limited, so the holes were filled with offcuts of dowel.
After a sanding down, off to the the outside workspace for oiling to match colours as the smell affects the wifes asthma.
This morning - end result - 

 
Not too bad a match a little time, and hidden mostly by new railings, and you won't know! 😇  This also shows the new cut sizes of the hog chains, fore and aft. Aftermost is 2 people high.
Painted the smokestack, hereafter called the Chimney as I've learned thanks to @Cathead and his goldmine of info, but have been requested to leave the fancy parts of the chimney crown the original bronze colour.

Also added is the extra brass band around the base into the slot on the deck cowling for decoration.
The upper bands on the chimney itself - decoration, to help stop chimney expansion and rupture by heat, points for rigging eyes, joint bands to extend the chimney height, or a multiple of these uses? 🤯  Now to amend the stern with the extra strengthening braces for the hog chain rods
 
Cheers for now,
Bob
 

I strongly suggest this resource as well: https://www.uwlax.edu/murphylibrary/collections/special-collections/steamboat-photographs/

Further weekend progress. I ended changing a few things from the instructions to suit myself; that just seems to be a standard mode of operations for me.
 
First, instead of gluing the plans to a building board and then gluing all the parts to the plan/board, I really wanted to keep the model separate and the plans clean. So I mounted the plans to a cutting mat using strong double-sided tape, and used the same to hold the keel parts in placing when gluing them together (but not to any backing). So far it's working fine.
 
This kit uses a two-part keel/stem construction (outer stem, keel, and sternpost and inner stemson, keelson, and deadwood), as you can see in my very first photo (before I spammed the log with property photos). This is meant to make it easier to carve the rabbet. So I went ahead and carefully carved the 45º rabbet on the keel/keelson and stem/stemson pieces based on the thickness of my intended planking. To mark this line, I laid each piece against some planking and used a sharp chisel to scribe a line where the rabbet should start (this is more accurate than a pencil):
 

 
I did this on two sides so there was a line guiding each side of the rabbet, then used pencil to darken these for visibility. I then used the chisel to cut the angle, finishing it with a sharp knife and sandpaper:
 

 

 
At the stem, the rabbet gradually transitions from a 45º notch to a 90º mortise. This is delicate to cut because the soft plywood of the stem would be very easy to break. I did this slowly and carefully by scribing the outer curve with a sharp knife, then chiseling layer after layer away with gentle thrusts. I cleaned this up with square files. Here I'm testing the depth of the mortise with a piece of cherry planking:
 

 
Next came the second instance in which I deviated from the instructions. The keelson has slots meant to accept the bulkheads. The kit intentionally leaves these shallow to strengthen this piece, and you're expected to deepen them down to the rabbet once this piece is glued to the build board. I decided it would be much easier to do this while the piece was loose, so deepened these using a razor saw on each side of the notch and then a chisel to remove the extra wood; a square file finished them up nicely. Below, a deepened slot at right, a slot with notches cut at center, and an unmodified slot at left. Sorry for the poor focus, iPhone photography doesn't like low-light closeups.
 

 
Before I glued the stem/stemson/keel/keelson together, I did some test-fitting of bulkheads and planks, and really didn't like how the lower rabbet was performing. I thought I had cut it following instructions, but it felt way too large for my planks, leaving a clear divot between the keel and the lower edge of the garboard plank. I don't have a good photo of this because I just couldn't get the detail focused on and I was doing this in the evening. I also messed up and carved the rabbet all the way down the keel; this is supposed to stop at the deadwood as after that the whole geometry changes. I had even marked this spot, but obliviously chiseled right past it when the time came.
 
So between those two things, I deviated from the instructions for a third time and used a very similarly dimensioned piece of basswood from my scrap pile to make a new keel. This one I didn't rabbet at all (leaving only the rabbet in the keelson). When I test-fit bulkheads and planks this way, my planking lay in the now-triangular rabbet just fine, and if anything the straight edge of the keel held it in place better. So I decided to go with that, knowing I could always carve out a faint rabbet later on the keel if I wanted. I don't know if that description makes sense, but in the photo below, you see the original keel with a 45º rabbet angling down to the right and the new keel without a rabbet; the latter is set against the keelson with its own 45º rabbet angling down to the left. Can you see how the plank sits nicely in its slot? When that original keel rabbet was there, the plank angled too far out and didn't sit well against the bulkhead (or there was an awkward divot between the surface of the keel and the beginning of the plank). I feel like this approach is a better fit and more secure, so I'm going with it.
 

 
So after all that, I glued the stem/stemson/keel/keelson together (but NOT to the plans), then started adding bulkheads. These are also supposed to be glued to the plans, but I didn't want to do that. So I just glued them in at their lower tips and added lower spaces to help brace them, using various squares to get the orientation right. So far it's coming out nice and square with no issues. The photo below also gives another angle of the plank sitting nicely in my version of the rabbet.
 

 
I'm pretty happy with these modifications and will move forward with carefully adding bulkheads. Thanks for reading!
 

This kit was developed by the Nautical Research Guild to teach or improve members' hull-planking skills. As a moderately skilled builder, I decided it would be a good project to force myself to learn best practices and possibly correct poor practices I may have developed. Plus, it seems simpler and more relaxing than my last few builds! Here's the NRG's vision of the final project:
 

 
There are many build logs for this already, but I intend to add my own twist by doing the planking using wood I've harvested and milled myself from my rural property, where I do a lot of timber management. This is the direction I'd like to take my modeling overall, so this will be a good early test of the goal. I have well-cured cherry, walnut, and maple billets on hand and think a mix of those could look really nice on this hull. Right now my idea is to use cherry below the wale, walnut for the  wale, and maple above it. We'll see what happens.
 
Hopefully this is of interest to a few people, but regardless of attendance, I've learned that keeping a build log is a good way to keep myself engaged and organized.

Hi Bob,
 
I purchased the figures on amazon.fr, by Preiser @ 1/87 scale.

Thanks, happy to be back! And especially happy to be out of that itchy cast; I can type again!

Great work! I love it when a model becomes one's own through tweaking. As to the chimney band question, chimneys were built from metal sheets coiled into hoops, which could only be made so wide, so the regular bands likely reflect the joints between those. On the photo of America that you shared above, you can clearly see the regular spacing all the way up. I'm not sure about the exact function of the thicker bands, your suggestions all seem plausible. 

BTW, keep all, or as much as possible, of your planking offcuts - they will come in useful! (You can always get rid later)
AL don't give much, if any, slack in the amount of wood they supply, also look at the dowels for warp / curvature / ovalness.

Evan,
It has been so long for an update from you!  I have missed your work on the Connie, and I sincerely hope that you are keeping up with her.  It's great finding this thread again.
Bill

After my last post I had a day off from the build and, by the time I finished, it was too late to add an update on Monday. Added to this I've installed  an computer clean up system and now can't get a preview of my photos. Anyway I have now added the decks as well as the filler blocks to the bows. I have also added the stern gallery piece which was made harder by the elastic bands pinging off the bulkheads. This was fixed by placing other elastic bands across them and the decks. There is no mention of having to soak the stern piece to get it to bend to shape. Out of curiosity I looked at the fit of the metal gallery surround and, of course it is flat. 1mm wood panel is easy to bend into the correct position but 4mm metal ??? Any suggestions welcome here. At present I am waiting for the glue to dry and have another go tomorrow night. I'm now convinced this is not a beginners kit. Here's the photos so far.

Late 2012 Mac running Mojave 10.14.6
 
Using Wine/Winebottler I have Delftship v5 working, but can't get v10 or 13 to work.
v5 is 32bit as is Freeship v3.4 which I also have working.
The new Delftship v13 is 64bit, as is Freeship V5 which I can't get working either.
There are problems getting some 64bit programs to work as Wine is a 32 bit program. There is no 64bit Wine version for Mac, so it will only work properly in Mjoave (10.14) or lower, as Catalina is pure 64bit and won't even run OSX 32bit apps.
Also it appears OSX deprecated OpenGL3 in Mojave and above for Metal.
If you want to try either on a Mac you really need an older 32bit version.
 
It looks like either dual booting or a virtual Windows environment (Virtualbox, Crossover - who say they've got it running, Parallels) is the only viable solution for some programs.
 
Hope this helps a little.
Bob
 
A small update.  Using Virtualbox and Win7 64bit installing delftship 1330_334 on a Mac Mojave 14.6 it won't run.  However, putting the file opengl32.dll into the same directory as delftship.exe it starts and runs. Tweaking the Vm settings for RAM and Video RAM will get it to work at least usable.

These are not a patch on the artist ones above, but here are my 1/64 scale (25mm / 1 inch) Amati white metal figures I have just finished painting for my current "Bounty" build.
 

Personally, one reasonably accurate set seems sufficient to me, since pure accuracy isn't attainable in this kit and one was very common. You'll improve the looks a lot just by getting the one set right.

I've been kind of becalmed by indecision regarding painting. I have purchased an airbrush and compressor, plus some accessories. At the hobby shop I bought some Tamiya paints, but have read here since that these paints might not be suitable for wood. I do not want to obscure the lines of planking on the buildings. 
 
Today I ordered some marine colors of pre-thinned paint from USA Airbrush, as recommended by moderator Kurt in another log.
 
I also have some Stynylrez primer in white and gray. I hope that product is suitable, as I read somewhere that it would not obscure details. What is your experience with these products?
 
In order to keep on without causing too much extra masking, I started planking the second deck in the herringbone pattern.
 

Congratulations to you and your wife! Life will get very busy from now on - I know!
Those stairs - well, I just did something different, even AL have now given up on them and have straight ones on the new release model.
All the best,
Bob

Well, I’m really glad to see this thread wasnt deleted for inactivity haha. Life has been nuts, great, but nuts. Not much time at all has been spent on the ship. I recently got married and my wife is pregnant, so my wife and I have been focusing a lot of our time on preparing for the baby. I do have some updates from the last post. However, I have to put a layer of Tung oil on everything before I glue things together. For now. I’ll just post a picture of the stairs (which I loathed) and a few recent projects I made for the house. 

Brushing off done, and new wood oiled.
Having already painted the smoke stacks I decided to sort them out, and the other smaller stacks to make sure the sizes and holes were correct before doing fiddly delicate work that could be broken off.  These are just paced at the moment.
Also did the side masts that AL call "turnbuckles" as these run alongside the side railings.

 
The smokestacks I'd already painted - bad move as it turned out.  The brass rings wouldn't fit! So some sanding and fit testing ended up with this -

 
Still to paint the fancy bits, and will put a brass strip around the expanded base inside the indent.
 
For the turnbuckles - well, the deck holes are cut through vertically and are too small for the width of dowel required, so some shaping and angling of the holes on both decks is required. Again best done before any railings are fitted!
 

 
Engine room stacks, again holes too small for the required dowel and didn't quite line up straight - probably my fault when fitting the upper decks.
On the revamped release these at turned in at the bottoms, so holes resized, bottoms shaped to a curve, and shaved to fit.

Going to put a brass strip around the outer to hold it against the upper deck.
 
The guard railings around the stern were made and fitted.

 
I noticed that the upper two decks upper and lower railings are inset into the newels. This is only visible on a couple of pictures, and not mentioned at all in the instructions. Bad photo, but you can clearly see the mortice cut out on the centre deck, and that the lower rails are inset on both levels.

Going to give it a try!
 
Got the grandkids today, so all work put safely out of reach!
 
Cheers for now,
Bob
 

Yeah, you can easily hide that behind deck detail. Anything like a rope coil, barrel, or crate would work fine and not be too out of place. Also, as it looks like the kit places some bitts right there, you could even build a thin planked and framed base below the bits that wouldn't look out of place, especially as this kit isn't a realistic depiction of an actual riverboat anyway.

I made the ventilation grilles. I haven't attached them yet as I'm still thinking about painting scheme. The instructions called for drilling 1mm dia. holes for the bars, which results in a very loose fit. I instead drilled holes slightly smaller than the pins, using a drill press. I then used the first grille as a template for the rest. They came out pretty good, and are uniform in appearance. No glue required, because of the press fit, and because the grilles will be fully enclosed with the second deck installed.
 
Started on the boiler room doors. The instructions call for planking the doors with the same basswood as for the deck and building walls, yet the pictures in the manual show much narrower plank width. I ending up cutting them in half lengthwise.  I think it's going to be the same for the door framing, as the wood that is called out is so wide that half the planking is obscured.
 
I made a mistake and cut out the deck planking at the two hull mounting tabs, should have done so only at the building mounting tabs. Scabbed in pieces of planking. Does not look great. The one towards the stern is within a building, so no biggie, but the one at the bow is kind of an eyesore. . . There are some deck features that go in that area, so I will wait to make a decision on more corrective work.