Gerhardvienna

Hi Pat
This would declare why they made it that way. When there was a pitch control, so the "Zero" position will be allright for sailing! Well seen and explained, thank you!
 
Regards
Gerhard

Hi Pat
 
Thank you for your nice comment!
A bit more to enjoy.....
The floor to the engine room is set in again, now from 1mm plywood. This is just thefirst layer of the floor, another layer from 2mm plywood will follow with the engine. And the engine stands are in progress, while I`m still waiting for much more wood and other materials for the Cairo.
The floor in the engine room

 
Beginning of the engine stands. The gaps between the timbers will be filled with small pieces from wood, so the stands will hopefully look like the original ones.


 
Regards, and many thanks for watching & nice likes
Gerhard
 
 

Hi John,
I took up your suggestion for fastening the lifelines (drilled a small hole 0,6 mm and pulled the lifline rope in with a very thin brass loop and clipped it off at the inside bulwark rail) it will look more elegant now, thanks for your nice tip, much appreciated
 
Nils

Hi Pat
 
Thank you for your nice comment!
A bit more to enjoy.....
The floor to the engine room is set in again, now from 1mm plywood. This is just thefirst layer of the floor, another layer from 2mm plywood will follow with the engine. And the engine stands are in progress, while I`m still waiting for much more wood and other materials for the Cairo.
The floor in the engine room

 
Beginning of the engine stands. The gaps between the timbers will be filled with small pieces from wood, so the stands will hopefully look like the original ones.


 
Regards, and many thanks for watching & nice likes
Gerhard
 
 

Hi Pat
 
Thank you for your nice comment!
A bit more to enjoy.....
The floor to the engine room is set in again, now from 1mm plywood. This is just thefirst layer of the floor, another layer from 2mm plywood will follow with the engine. And the engine stands are in progress, while I`m still waiting for much more wood and other materials for the Cairo.
The floor in the engine room

 
Beginning of the engine stands. The gaps between the timbers will be filled with small pieces from wood, so the stands will hopefully look like the original ones.


 
Regards, and many thanks for watching & nice likes
Gerhard
 
 

Hi Pat
 
Thank you for your nice comment!
A bit more to enjoy.....
The floor to the engine room is set in again, now from 1mm plywood. This is just thefirst layer of the floor, another layer from 2mm plywood will follow with the engine. And the engine stands are in progress, while I`m still waiting for much more wood and other materials for the Cairo.
The floor in the engine room

 
Beginning of the engine stands. The gaps between the timbers will be filled with small pieces from wood, so the stands will hopefully look like the original ones.


 
Regards, and many thanks for watching & nice likes
Gerhard
 
 

Hi Pat
This would declare why they made it that way. When there was a pitch control, so the "Zero" position will be allright for sailing! Well seen and explained, thank you!
 
Regards
Gerhard

Hi Philip
 
Looking really good!
BUT...............
I would make a slight change on the propeller, a prop with that shape will give no speed, but only swirl water. If there is a way to make the change, I would. Sorry for beeing late with that!
 
Regards
Gerhard

Hello again, my friends. I´ve come back to show you a new project I intend to see through in less time than the last ones. It´s funny to perceive we may be away from the shipyard for some time, but it still calls us rightly into it´s arms. So, to begin with, a presentation of the kit´s content, followed by impressions and the reason why my title has a "modified" in it.
 
 
The box is a strong one, better than Artesania Latina´s Red Dragon box, with some info in it, pretty default.
 

On openning it we can see that magic things that makes us happy and going.


 
 
The plans are simple, but precise, there are no much more to say about them. There are lots of castings, all the fittings, a beautiful sailcloth with a venetian flag. The woods seems ok, love their smell - some Mahogany, walnut and lime tree.  Have to say this was the most anticipated model from the ones I´ve bought, since its larger and have a greater rope work - it also goes in the direction I want to move for the next types of ships I want to build. After this one I plan on starting a plank on frame "Nao de Mataró" for which I´ve been researching for quite a good time.
 
About the ship:
 
"Many ships are also referred to as ‘coca’, ‘cocha’ or
‘cocche’. This sounds very similar to the Dutch word
‘kog’ (cog or cock-boat). This is no coincidence. According
to the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani
(1277-1348) the first West European cogs arrived in
the Mediterranean Sea in 1304. He writes: “Certain
people from Bayone in Gascogne entered the Strait
of Gibraltar in 1304 as pirates, in their ships called
cogs, and caused huge damage. But the Genoese, the
Venetians and the Catalonians then started copying
the ship.”
So the northern method of building ships was introduced
to the Mediterranean in the 14th century.
What were the differences southern and northern
European shipbuilding? In the Mediterranean ships
were traditionally built with a triangular lateen sail
and a side rudder. The cog on the other hand was
clinker-built, square-rigged, and had a rear rudder.
The Mediterranean and West European shipbuilding
traditions are actually merged in the coca. The coca
is clinker-built with rear rudder, one or two masts,
and square rigged."
 
As the present kit intends to give us a 16th century ship, I begun my research so I could turn it a bit older. I tried to buy a book on the subject, refered to by a member from this distinctive site, but couldn´t either because it was over on Amazon and on the italian online bookstores (I even paid for one, but got the money back - I wanted the book!). So, I decided on researching online as much as I could to fill the gaps - I want it to be a 15th century ship - Already read there are no great changes trough that period of time, but, any help is always welcome. 
 
Other things I´ve got to modify - no castings on windows and doors - those will be wooden made and may have other materials as I see fit to close the gap in time - don´t know if the small boat which cames with it would have existed at the 1400´s, so, maybe it won´t be part of the ship. The crow´s nest is too simple, so, I´ll scratch a new one. Various frames will be cut so I can make room for cabins, cargo holders and such - I´ll try to put some lights on, if I find space - 1-70 scale is a little small for me, but I may get it done. The rudder is plywood, don´t know if I´ll be using it, too.
 
That´s it for the time being. I´ve already started this one 2 years ago, but as things got messed up, had to hold it. Now, I think I can make it to the end.
 
 

Nice build Gerhard, I have been following a long for a while but not commenting - just enjoying
 
cheers
 
Pat

Hi Christos,
 
Thanks. Yes, she is in Portsmouth. There is a webcam at the top of her mast from which you can see the Victory moored not far away. Link is here.
 
Cheers

Hi again, and many thanks for you interest & likes!
 
madt the barrel for the boat howitzer today, turned a small piece of brass, drilled the barrel, and soldered some small parts for the visor and the holding parts. Barrel fits well to the carriage.

 
And I did cut out the frames for the cutters, and prepared the parts for the core of the boat. I will make the boats as Johann @archjofo  did, just hoping I get them done as well!
 


 
Best Regards
Gerhard
 
 

Hi again& many thanks for your interest and so many likes!
 
Made some progress for the paddlewheel, just on the PC. First parts are ready drawn in 3D but must be transformed to 2D Drawings for photo etching.

 
BUT; could not stop myself and try to draw it as close as I can to the plans I have. The shaft and some other shims are not made at the moment, will be made later the day!
 
Regards
Gerhard

Hi Pat
This would declare why they made it that way. When there was a pitch control, so the "Zero" position will be allright for sailing! Well seen and explained, thank you!
 
Regards
Gerhard

Hi Phillip and Gerhard,  I would leave them Phil - I am pretty sure she was fitted with a feathering propeller and the pitch would have been close to zero when not needed (such as in port or when under sail alone) - depends on how you would like to depict her.  I had the same problem to contemplate when fitting the prop to 'Victoria" and ended up going for zero pitch as she will no be modelled with sails or underway.  This is just a suggestion - your model,  so please depict her how you wish.
 
Nice work with the progress you have made, she is really starting to take shape.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Thanks to Eric's "1856 Missouri River Steamboat Arabia log", another mystery for the USS Cairo/USS St. Louis appears to be solved. The photo of a "bilge pump" on the far right was taken at the USS Cairo Museum at Vicksburg , Mississippi and was apparently recovered from the Cairo but its original location was not reported. The photo on the left depicts a "Doctor" auxiliary steam engine and the boilers, connected to a very similar "bilge pump" from the steamboat "Arabia". The center photo is our model of the bilge pump for the USS St. Louis. Eric states that "... when firing up the boilers cold, the engineer & crew would use a hand pump to add sufficient water to the boilers to allow fires to be kindled, then once the boilers were up and running, the steam lines from the boilers were redirected to get the "Doctor" running" (which would then take over supplying make-up water to the boilers. The hand pump's globular section was apparently a reservoir for the start-up water and was below the waterline which kept it filled..)
This makes perfect sense so we will now plan to locate the bilge pump adjacent to the "Doctor" on the feed water ramp immediately forward of the paddlewheel on our model of the "USS St. Louis".
 
johnhoward

To make the mizzen-top I show a series of pictures.

Thanks very much John,
 
learnt something new again, much appreciated, "lifelines" such an easy word......, also the function of the grab lines makes sense, when trying to righten my sailing dinghi once, standing on the keel I nearly broke the wooden swing centerplate by sidewise hanging my weight to it`s full length standing up, wish I had grab lines there...
 
For these small resin boats I give it a go for a trial on a scrap part with the lifelines and the seine floats attached, quite a weary process, but I trust the optic will be worth the effort afterwards. For the closed boats the canvas cover may be partialy hiding some of the lifelines
 
Nils
 

Hi Philip
Dont PLEASE do any damage to this beauty! If it`s not able to make the change, keep it as it is, better than a smashed ship!
 
Regards
Gerhard

Thanks Gerhard,
I see what you mean. I think the blades should be mounted at 45% to the shaft. I will try and fix but it may not be doable without damage in which case it will have to stay as it is.
Best,
Philip

While the sanding for the cutters core I made some drawing work for the engine and paddlewheel compartment. The timbers will be made from 5 x 5mm pinewood, and they will be slotted as we have seen on the photos in eric´s (@cathead) thread https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/15945-designing-a-model-of-the-1856-missouri-river-steamboat-arabia/#comment-498868 , and on the pictures from the Cairo museum too. The attached photo shows how the timbers will be laid, but without the slots.

 
Regards
Gerhard
 

While the sanding for the cutters core I made some drawing work for the engine and paddlewheel compartment. The timbers will be made from 5 x 5mm pinewood, and they will be slotted as we have seen on the photos in eric´s (@cathead) thread https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/15945-designing-a-model-of-the-1856-missouri-river-steamboat-arabia/#comment-498868 , and on the pictures from the Cairo museum too. The attached photo shows how the timbers will be laid, but without the slots.

 
Regards
Gerhard
 

While the sanding for the cutters core I made some drawing work for the engine and paddlewheel compartment. The timbers will be made from 5 x 5mm pinewood, and they will be slotted as we have seen on the photos in eric´s (@cathead) thread https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/15945-designing-a-model-of-the-1856-missouri-river-steamboat-arabia/#comment-498868 , and on the pictures from the Cairo museum too. The attached photo shows how the timbers will be laid, but without the slots.

 
Regards
Gerhard
 

I'm more than 1/4 way through the planking now. It's not as tidy as I'd like - I've learnt a lot of lessons during the process about proper preparation of the substructure (i.e. getting all the frames at exactly the same level) which I didn't do this time. I first cut grooves in the plug for the frames, then I changed my mind and decided to get rid of the grooves and have the frames stand out proud of the plug - which is what I should have done in the first place.
 
But because I couldn't cut the grooves precisely enough to the same depth with a handsaw they were all at slightly different depths and even after smoothing off the plug some of the frames still sit in the remnants of the grooves, while others sit fully proud of the plug. So I end up with wobbly planks.
 
I've fixed that to a certain degree using filler made from white glue and wood dust. But I should have used dust from the (pine) planks instead of re-using the stuff from the (plane tree) frames and wales, because the colour of the filler doesn't match the planks. Not a big problem - I'm going to paint the bottom of the ship black to simulate pitch or tar, and the sides will be red and yellow, as befits the Imperial dromon.
 
Five planks (plus garboards) in place:
 


 
Another problem that has arisen is that the planks seem to tilt somewhat, so the edge of the new plank is a little higher than the edge of the previous one. I think this is because I've been using push pins to hold the planks in place as the glue dries. The pins push on only one side of the plank, so no matter how careful I am, it tilts a little. I can  sand this smooth, but it offends me that I couldn't get it right first time. I'll have to find a better method of holding the planks in place.
 
Putting the sixth in place:
 


 
By the way, with the last plank so close to the wale, the flanges of the push pins were getting in the way, so I trimmed off one side of each flange and it fitted well. Dunno what I'm going to do with the last plank - nowhere for the pin to go - maybe I'll just have to hold the plank in place with my fingers till the glue dries . . .
 
But if I ever make another dromon (fat chance!) I'll know what mistakes to avoid. All part of life's rich tapestry.
 
I've also done preliminary painting on my two figures. Haven't sanded fully enough (a fact that isn't obvious until you take a detailed close-up photo) and I have yet to paint faces and the guardsman's hair, add shading etc etc , but it's starting to look good.
 

 
Steven
 
 

Hi Pawel
 
Think this will be the stove? Nice idea to use that kind of red wood for the clinkers!
 
Regards
Gerhard