6ohiocav

RAISING THE FLAG
 
It is time to raise the flag! The shipwrights from Presque Isle have turned the US Brig Niagara over to the US Great Lakes Command and Capt. Oliver Hazard Perry. Capt. Perry's flag carried the famous quote "Don't give up the Ship" uttered by his late friend, Capt. James Lawrence as he lay dying on the deck of his ship the USS Chesapeake in battle with the HMS Shannon.

I printed an image of the flag onto printable fabric, cut it out, rigged it to lanyards,  and ran them through a block on top of the foremast.
 
We christen this ship the US Brig Niagara. I hoist this flag in honor to all of the sailors who fought and died for Country or Crown in the Battle of Lake Erie, a lake where I grew up.
 
And with that, this project is over. Once I button up the display case and take some final photos, I will mark this build log "FINISHED"
 

Steve,
 
Thanks for the kind words. It is a great kit. I hope that this log helps you with the many challenges you will face. Feel free to reach out to me anytime.
 
Good luck in your build.

FINISHED!
I spent the weekend cleaning off dust and touching up paint in preparation of placing the Niagara in its glass enclosure. While I designed the case with an option of removing the ship, it will not be an easy process, and I don’t have plans on doing so. So sealing it away knowing I will not be able to work on it, or tweak something, was a tough moment.
This was a great project. I give credit to the folks at Model Shipways for putting together a great kit. This was my first wooden ship build, and I would recommend the Niagara for any first timer.  There are easier kits out there (and a lot more harder ones) to cut your teeth on, but the Niagara is a good choice. It is reasonably priced (I bought mine at a half off sale). The instructions and plan sheets are good overall, and if followed, will produce an end product you will be proud of..
The kit lacks expensive wood, and some critical parts, but again, for the price, it is still a good purchase. With the exception of the hull planking, I swapped out all of the basswood lumber and laser cut parts with hardwoods (cherry and holly mostly). Those parts that the kit requires the builder to engineer and produce tested my model skills and have made me a better builder. I have seen the term kit “bashing” when someone “goes off the plan.” I guess I did this with this kit, but I can’t say I bashed it, I would rather say I enhanced it. Thanks Model Shipways.
I also have to give credit to Chuck Passaro and his Syren products. I used his rope, blocks, hooks, and hearts for all of the rigging. These products make any ship look great, even for us amateurs.
I also give credit to Model Ship World and my fellow Niagara builders. I would never have purchased this kit, let alone make the effort to build it, without the wealth of information and full color pictures available on this site. Builders like Bahamas Diver, Xken, Patrickmil, Greatgalleons, Mikiek, and others who sailed the lakes with their Niagara Builds were inspirations and great teachers. My project would have sunk to the bottom of Lake Erie without their guidance. They had my back.
I can't forget my fellow members of the Shipwrights of the Central Ohio modelling club. The long drive to our monthly meetings is always worth the trip. Great knowledge, experience and fellowship. Thanks Bill for everything you do for our club
And finally, to those of you out there that stopped in to see this project and lent advice and words of encouragement. As I am sure you all know, getting an “atta boy” from an experienced shipwright is energizing.
Here are some final photos as I mark my build log officially FINISHED.

MOUNTING PEDESTALS
 
I worked on a method of mounting my ship to its display base. And yes, like experienced model ship builders, this was something I should have done long long ago. Kudos to those that incorporate mounting bolts and threaded nuts to their hulls before it is planked. Being my first wooden ship model, when I started this project years ago, I was a lot younger, but not wiser. Just finishing the project was too much to comprehend let alone that there would be a time when I would have to actually mount it to something.
 
I ordered some brass pedestals with long wood screws. But screwing wood screws into a quarter inch wide plywood keel with no backing was not going to do it. So I opted to mortise a notch and glue in a stainless steel nut that would accept a two inch machine screw. The diameter of the screw was wider than the hole in my brass pedestals, so I would have to create new ones. I opted to turn them on my lathe from some spalted maple.
 
This was a long process, and a scary one as well. Working on the bottom of the hull of a finished rigged sailing ship is ridiculous. Taking a drill to the hull, while sitting on the floor, with the ship hanging off the edge of the bench is not for the faint of heart. I paid for my ignorance.
 
Here are a series of photos that show how I did it.  In the end, the ship is stable enough, as long as it is not hit with any rough seas.

FINISHED!
I spent the weekend cleaning off dust and touching up paint in preparation of placing the Niagara in its glass enclosure. While I designed the case with an option of removing the ship, it will not be an easy process, and I don’t have plans on doing so. So sealing it away knowing I will not be able to work on it, or tweak something, was a tough moment.
This was a great project. I give credit to the folks at Model Shipways for putting together a great kit. This was my first wooden ship build, and I would recommend the Niagara for any first timer.  There are easier kits out there (and a lot more harder ones) to cut your teeth on, but the Niagara is a good choice. It is reasonably priced (I bought mine at a half off sale). The instructions and plan sheets are good overall, and if followed, will produce an end product you will be proud of..
The kit lacks expensive wood, and some critical parts, but again, for the price, it is still a good purchase. With the exception of the hull planking, I swapped out all of the basswood lumber and laser cut parts with hardwoods (cherry and holly mostly). Those parts that the kit requires the builder to engineer and produce tested my model skills and have made me a better builder. I have seen the term kit “bashing” when someone “goes off the plan.” I guess I did this with this kit, but I can’t say I bashed it, I would rather say I enhanced it. Thanks Model Shipways.
I also have to give credit to Chuck Passaro and his Syren products. I used his rope, blocks, hooks, and hearts for all of the rigging. These products make any ship look great, even for us amateurs.
I also give credit to Model Ship World and my fellow Niagara builders. I would never have purchased this kit, let alone make the effort to build it, without the wealth of information and full color pictures available on this site. Builders like Bahamas Diver, Xken, Patrickmil, Greatgalleons, Mikiek, and others who sailed the lakes with their Niagara Builds were inspirations and great teachers. My project would have sunk to the bottom of Lake Erie without their guidance. They had my back.
I can't forget my fellow members of the Shipwrights of the Central Ohio modelling club. The long drive to our monthly meetings is always worth the trip. Great knowledge, experience and fellowship. Thanks Bill for everything you do for our club
And finally, to those of you out there that stopped in to see this project and lent advice and words of encouragement. As I am sure you all know, getting an “atta boy” from an experienced shipwright is energizing.
Here are some final photos as I mark my build log officially FINISHED.

RAISING THE FLAG
 
It is time to raise the flag! The shipwrights from Presque Isle have turned the US Brig Niagara over to the US Great Lakes Command and Capt. Oliver Hazard Perry. Capt. Perry's flag carried the famous quote "Don't give up the Ship" uttered by his late friend, Capt. James Lawrence as he lay dying on the deck of his ship the USS Chesapeake in battle with the HMS Shannon.

I printed an image of the flag onto printable fabric, cut it out, rigged it to lanyards,  and ran them through a block on top of the foremast.
 
We christen this ship the US Brig Niagara. I hoist this flag in honor to all of the sailors who fought and died for Country or Crown in the Battle of Lake Erie, a lake where I grew up.
 
And with that, this project is over. Once I button up the display case and take some final photos, I will mark this build log "FINISHED"
 

Derek,
 
Ingenious jig. Can you please send your measurements either as a post or a private e-mail if your prefer. I have masts that are part octagon, part round, and your marking system with proper apportionment will make this task easier and more precise.  
 
Love your build. 

This is a question I posted on my Niagara build log.
 
Gents,
 
HELP!
 
I need some guidance on a rigging question. I decided early on to include cluelines and sheets to all of my yards, even though I am not adding sails. For the royal and topgallant, I simply tied the sheet lines to the yards, and ran the cluelines down through a block to the deck (as per the Niagara narrative instructions). The Niagara plans were pretty vague on how to handle the Topsail, so I turned to my Petersson rigging book and used his design.
 
I am now faced with the Course Yards. Again, I have turned to Petersson. Following his diagram for the Foremast, I tied two blocks together with a single tack line as seen in the photo I have attached. My question though is this ok for the Niagara, and more specifically, where would I belay the end of the tack line?  In the diagram, the tack line runs through a block extended beyond the bow on a rod. There is no such apparatus on the Niagara, so where to belay the tack line.  The Niagara plans seem to indicate that the tack line should belay to the chock rail.
 
In my photo of the ship, you will find my prototype. I ran the tack to the chock rail and one end of the sheet will be belayed to an eyebolt on the outside of the hull and the other will run through a hole and tied to a cleet inside the bulwark.  Does this make any sense?
 
I also have a general question that will show my landlubberness. I believe the sheet and clueline attach to the bottom corner of the sail. If that is correct, why would Petersson pull the blocks so close to the mast, rather than out at the end of the yard.
 
The last photo is from the Niagara plans. It is hard for me to fully understand this. Petersson is a lot easier to understand.
 
Any suggestions?

Sean,
 
Welcome aboard. As a fellow buckeye, I have to reiterate Lee's suggestion to join the modeling club.  I have been a member for two years, and although I have a hard time making all of the meetings (I am 2 hours away), the ones I have attended are really helpful. The members of this club are some of the finest craftsmen in the state, and you will learn a lot.
 
We are all looking forward to you build log.
 

Tom,
 
Fantastic progress since I last checked in. 
 
The hammock rails are a challenge. You are free to check out my build log to see how I handled mine. Not necessarily the best way, but it worked ok. You are very smart to do it now. I waited until after I rigged the ship and found that task incredibly difficult with all of the rigging in the way.
 
....and yes, the deck is about to get very busy. Just wait. But you are going to love the way it looks. It is going start to look like a real ship.

APPLYING THE SHIP'S NAME AND RIGGING THE SHIP'S BOATS
 
I spent the last couple of days experimenting with "painting" the ships name on the stern and bow. Thought about decals and letter stencils but in the end, took the simple way out. Since the hull is painted flat black, I printed out the name in gold letters on a black field from my computer. I used Book Antique font. It turned out ok.
 
Then I rigged the ships boats to the davits. That was terribly tedious.... of course so is everything else I have done on this build.
 
Here are some photos.
 

Roger,
 
Great story. We are all glad you decided to pick up that copy of the Marietta Times newspaper.
 
For those that don't know, Marietta Ohio is a historic river boat town. Returning the NRG Conference there after a 45 year hiatus is an interesting idea. The city celebrates its Sternwheel Festival in September each year (cancelled this year...of course). It is a wonderful event. While the dates don't line up, a NRG Conference scheduled to coincide with the Sternwheel event would give spouses something exciting to experience.  I am attaching a link.
 
https://ohio-river-sternwheel-festival.myshopify.com/

You are correct Roger. Zoar was established by a group of German Seperatists that fled Europe in 1817 and Napoleon’s conscription practices. They landed in Pennsylvania and secured a large chunk of the Ohio frontier from the Shakers that they befriended. They formed a communal society in order to survive the harsh conditions in the Tuscarawas River Valley and caught a huge break when the Ohio-Erie Canal company hired the Zoarites to dig (by hand) 7 miles of the canal along the river. The money they earned and the riparian connection to the country they gained sustained this communal experiment for 80 years. 8 full blocks of the original village has been preserved. It is a wonderful community and if you are interested in canal boats a destination about 2 hours from Toledo. 

Roger,
 
Great story. We are all glad you decided to pick up that copy of the Marietta Times newspaper.
 
For those that don't know, Marietta Ohio is a historic river boat town. Returning the NRG Conference there after a 45 year hiatus is an interesting idea. The city celebrates its Sternwheel Festival in September each year (cancelled this year...of course). It is a wonderful event. While the dates don't line up, a NRG Conference scheduled to coincide with the Sternwheel event would give spouses something exciting to experience.  I am attaching a link.
 
https://ohio-river-sternwheel-festival.myshopify.com/

Roger,
 
Great story. We are all glad you decided to pick up that copy of the Marietta Times newspaper.
 
For those that don't know, Marietta Ohio is a historic river boat town. Returning the NRG Conference there after a 45 year hiatus is an interesting idea. The city celebrates its Sternwheel Festival in September each year (cancelled this year...of course). It is a wonderful event. While the dates don't line up, a NRG Conference scheduled to coincide with the Sternwheel event would give spouses something exciting to experience.  I am attaching a link.
 
https://ohio-river-sternwheel-festival.myshopify.com/

Roger,
 
Great story. We are all glad you decided to pick up that copy of the Marietta Times newspaper.
 
For those that don't know, Marietta Ohio is a historic river boat town. Returning the NRG Conference there after a 45 year hiatus is an interesting idea. The city celebrates its Sternwheel Festival in September each year (cancelled this year...of course). It is a wonderful event. While the dates don't line up, a NRG Conference scheduled to coincide with the Sternwheel event would give spouses something exciting to experience.  I am attaching a link.
 
https://ohio-river-sternwheel-festival.myshopify.com/

Roger,
 
Great story. We are all glad you decided to pick up that copy of the Marietta Times newspaper.
 
For those that don't know, Marietta Ohio is a historic river boat town. Returning the NRG Conference there after a 45 year hiatus is an interesting idea. The city celebrates its Sternwheel Festival in September each year (cancelled this year...of course). It is a wonderful event. While the dates don't line up, a NRG Conference scheduled to coincide with the Sternwheel event would give spouses something exciting to experience.  I am attaching a link.
 
https://ohio-river-sternwheel-festival.myshopify.com/

Roger,
 
Great story. We are all glad you decided to pick up that copy of the Marietta Times newspaper.
 
For those that don't know, Marietta Ohio is a historic river boat town. Returning the NRG Conference there after a 45 year hiatus is an interesting idea. The city celebrates its Sternwheel Festival in September each year (cancelled this year...of course). It is a wonderful event. While the dates don't line up, a NRG Conference scheduled to coincide with the Sternwheel event would give spouses something exciting to experience.  I am attaching a link.
 
https://ohio-river-sternwheel-festival.myshopify.com/

You are correct Roger. Zoar was established by a group of German Seperatists that fled Europe in 1817 and Napoleon’s conscription practices. They landed in Pennsylvania and secured a large chunk of the Ohio frontier from the Shakers that they befriended. They formed a communal society in order to survive the harsh conditions in the Tuscarawas River Valley and caught a huge break when the Ohio-Erie Canal company hired the Zoarites to dig (by hand) 7 miles of the canal along the river. The money they earned and the riparian connection to the country they gained sustained this communal experiment for 80 years. 8 full blocks of the original village has been preserved. It is a wonderful community and if you are interested in canal boats a destination about 2 hours from Toledo. 

You are correct Roger. Zoar was established by a group of German Seperatists that fled Europe in 1817 and Napoleon’s conscription practices. They landed in Pennsylvania and secured a large chunk of the Ohio frontier from the Shakers that they befriended. They formed a communal society in order to survive the harsh conditions in the Tuscarawas River Valley and caught a huge break when the Ohio-Erie Canal company hired the Zoarites to dig (by hand) 7 miles of the canal along the river. The money they earned and the riparian connection to the country they gained sustained this communal experiment for 80 years. 8 full blocks of the original village has been preserved. It is a wonderful community and if you are interested in canal boats a destination about 2 hours from Toledo. 

You are correct Roger. Zoar was established by a group of German Seperatists that fled Europe in 1817 and Napoleon’s conscription practices. They landed in Pennsylvania and secured a large chunk of the Ohio frontier from the Shakers that they befriended. They formed a communal society in order to survive the harsh conditions in the Tuscarawas River Valley and caught a huge break when the Ohio-Erie Canal company hired the Zoarites to dig (by hand) 7 miles of the canal along the river. The money they earned and the riparian connection to the country they gained sustained this communal experiment for 80 years. 8 full blocks of the original village has been preserved. It is a wonderful community and if you are interested in canal boats a destination about 2 hours from Toledo. 

You are correct Roger. Zoar was established by a group of German Seperatists that fled Europe in 1817 and Napoleon’s conscription practices. They landed in Pennsylvania and secured a large chunk of the Ohio frontier from the Shakers that they befriended. They formed a communal society in order to survive the harsh conditions in the Tuscarawas River Valley and caught a huge break when the Ohio-Erie Canal company hired the Zoarites to dig (by hand) 7 miles of the canal along the river. The money they earned and the riparian connection to the country they gained sustained this communal experiment for 80 years. 8 full blocks of the original village has been preserved. It is a wonderful community and if you are interested in canal boats a destination about 2 hours from Toledo. 

Roger,
 
Great suggestion for Toledo and good point about University of Michigan football. They are playing at home on Oct 15, 2022 and away on Oct 22, 2022. It is about 55 miles from Toledo to Ann Arbor.
 
As a current Buckeye, and member of the Shipwrights of Central Ohio, I applaud consideration of Toledo as a potential site for the 2022 NRG Convention. Great town and fantastic Museum. Can't agree more that Sandusky and the Lake Erie Islands offer wonderful venues as well.

Looking great.  There will be time in the not too distant future that you will really miss that uncluttered deck.

Roger,
 
Great suggestion for Toledo and good point about University of Michigan football. They are playing at home on Oct 15, 2022 and away on Oct 22, 2022. It is about 55 miles from Toledo to Ann Arbor.
 
As a current Buckeye, and member of the Shipwrights of Central Ohio, I applaud consideration of Toledo as a potential site for the 2022 NRG Convention. Great town and fantastic Museum. Can't agree more that Sandusky and the Lake Erie Islands offer wonderful venues as well.