gjdale

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

You have a very nice rear end there Egilman! (Can’t believe I just said that….) 

Very nicely done Bruce. I share your concerns about the dangers of this area of the site - that’s exactly how I came to acquire this one myself!

Thank you Grant.... (ROTFLMAO!!!)
 
Accepted in the spirit it was given Brother... {chuckle}

Greetings!

The derrick dock shed and the upper yard storage shed have been completed. Not much to add as the instructions and construction are both very straightforward. Here's the derrick dock shed...


...and the upper yard shed below (the first photo shows the "strip wood trap" where just a mm or 2 of the first plank is glued to the underlying template, thus creating a space where the side walls will be glued.  The joint between the walls is barely visible in the photos below.)...






note the crow resting on the roof.
Onto the saw shed. The frame has been completed. It is quite delicate at this stage.


Jeff

Bulwark planking has finally been completed.  It really wasnt too bad.   You just have to keep plugging away and while making careful cuts between those ports.   All the cracks, gaps and dents were filled and sanded in preparation for painting.
 
The second layer of spirketting was added as well to finish off the bulwarks below the ports.  The top edge was softened or even rounded off.  I dont like to leave a hard edge here.  I used a 1/32" strip the same shape and size as the first layer.  I took the shapes from the plans because this wide 1/2" strip needs to be tapered like the first layer and shaped before you glue it on.  Every model will have slight differences so it will take some time to get it right.     Then the top of the sills were very carefully sanded and the cracks filled there as well.   I was careful not to sand into the top of the spirketting which would ruin the nice continuous run along its top edge.  You can see how bad port sills look now but the surfaces are now smooth and once painted will look really nice.  
 

Before I paint however I needed to add the 4 fixed blocks on the inside of the bulwarks.  On Winnie, I had used laser cut fixed blocks the same thickness as the planking.   You would glue them to the framing before planking and then plank around them.  I went a different way this time.  I just planked the entire interior bulwarks and then just drilled the fixed blocks through from the outboard side.   Then I sanded them clean and reamed them a bit with a round file.  To finish off these simulated fixed blocks I took a very small "V" gauge chisel and made a small simulated sheave slot between the two holes.   Since the bulwarks will be painted this seemed like the better way to go.  You can see the two fixed blocks below at the bow on the starboard side.  I used a sharpened pencil to color the sheave to simulate a more appropriate color.   
 
I have also hi-lighted in this photo how I planked the bow inboard.   I first glued a 1/4" x 3/64" strip down the inboard side below the bowsprit hole.   See the red arrow.  This allows me to push the planking strakes up against it which for me makes the process easier and neater.  There were two more strakes to add on each side of this to plank the bow inboard.   The cracks were filled and it was all sanded smooth for painting.
 

 
Here is a photo showing the aft portion of the bulwarks planked and ready for painting as well.  Note the two fixed blocks here as well. 
 

The one last thing you might notice is that I did in fact add the margin plank all along the bulwarks.  This is 1/4" wide and 3/64" thick.   It finishes it off neatly.   You dont have to add this yet but I find it easier to paint the bulwarks when I have a nice right angle to paint down to.   Hopefully I wont bugger it up and get red paint all over the margin planks.  But if you find it easier to paint the bulwarks first without making a mess then fell free to do it that way.
 
At the bow,  the margin planks on each side were cut from a 3/64" thick sheet of yellow cedar.   I used the plans and planking template provided.  I cut it out and used that paper template as a starting point.   After seeing what I needed to adjust for a tight fit, I transferred this shape to the wood sheet and cut it out with a sharp #11 blade.  If you look at the photo again you can see my first attempt which I discarded.  It didnt fit as nicely as I wanted.   So I made more adjustments and cut another.   You would be best served to buy a few extra 3/64" thick sheets of Yellow cedar for stuff like this.   Every model will be slightly different and you will want to go through this exercise as well for a good fit.   
 

 
I am ready now for painting....the bulwarks will be carefully painted red over the weekend.  Depending on my honey-do list.
 
 

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

Very nicely done Bruce. I share your concerns about the dangers of this area of the site - that’s exactly how I came to acquire this one myself!

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

Very nicely done Bruce. I share your concerns about the dangers of this area of the site - that’s exactly how I came to acquire this one myself!

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

You have a very nice rear end there Egilman! (Can’t believe I just said that….) 

Very nicely done Bruce. I share your concerns about the dangers of this area of the site - that’s exactly how I came to acquire this one myself!

You have a very nice rear end there Egilman! (Can’t believe I just said that….) 

Very nicely done Bruce. I share your concerns about the dangers of this area of the site - that’s exactly how I came to acquire this one myself!

You have a very nice rear end there Egilman! (Can’t believe I just said that….) 

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

You have a very nice rear end there Egilman! (Can’t believe I just said that….) 

You have a very nice rear end there Egilman! (Can’t believe I just said that….) 

And to finish up, a few detail shots. Really enjoyed building this, and learning terrain-making skills along the way.
 

Congratulations on another outstanding SIB Glen. The thought you put into your presentation/stands takes your builds to another level altogether. I’m sure the recipient of this one will be absolutely delighted.

The Ghost Ship Jenny is complete!  Before I get to the final update, I want to give sincere thanks to everyone that followed along on this short but entertaining journey:  @Keith Black, @Knocklouder, @Ian_Grant, @gsdpic, @gjdale, @Scottish Guy, @FriedClams, @Canute, @Javelin, @mtaylor, @GrandpaPhil, @Thukydides, @Bryan Woods, @JacquesCousteau, @John Fox III, @hollowneck, @Landlubber Mike, @ccoyle, @Coyote_6, @BLACK VIKING, @CiscoH, @Rik Thistle, @Ryland Craze, @Paul Le Wol, @Mike Y.  I can never thank y'all enough for your support, suggestions, critiques, and humor!
 
Now the final update.  To finish up the Jenny, I wanted to mount the bottle on something that would look a bit spooky, maybe a little eerie - something that would add to the mystique of a ghost ship.  A while back, I found this root ball from a fallen cedar tree that looked cool (actually a juniper tree, but we call them cedars in Austin).  I kept it knowing that I’d eventually find a use for it.  

The bottle and the root ball turned out to be a perfect match.  The root ball rests stable and level on its side, and the bottle fits right in between the “tines” of the roots.   The cedar wood is very hard, weather resistant, and lasts forever.  They are commonly used for barbed wire fence posts around here.  However, they will still flake off strands of thin bark so I decided to seal the surface, trying to keep as much of the natural color as possible.  I ended up doing a 50/50 mix of Minwax semi-gloss poly and thinner.  The mix kept the poly from darkening the wood too much and allowing the natural variations to show through.

Here’s the completed project.

 

Could be Keith, but I don’t understand how or why as yet.

Well, it’s been an interesting and frustrating week working on setting the steam plant to work. Additional issues I have encountered to date (but have successfully resolved with the assistance of my “guru”) are:
 
The upper flange on the boiler sight glass tube had not been soldered correctly, leaving a small hole in the joint through which a large quantity of steam escaped. This was resolved by carefully re-fluxing the joint and allowing the existing solder to close the gap. Successful after test run with no further leakage through this joint.
 
The flange joint between the engine side of the displacement lubricator had not been soldered correctly and again, a large quantity of steam escaped through this fault. This was resolved in a similar way to the boiler sight glass tube flange described above. Successful after test run with no further leakage through this joint.
 
The mating surfaces between the flat rotating valve (forward/reverse) on top of the engine and the engine body were not machined particularly well (they were quite rough) and a significant steam leakage resulted. This was addressed by carefully polishing both faces to facilitate a smoother action. When running, the engine now appears to be quite smooth in its operation, with very little steam escaping though this interface.
 
I am somewhat surprised that the boiler was able to pass testing given the fault described at the first point above, and indeed that the other faults were not picked up through a quality control process. Nevertheless, I have managed to resolve all of the manufacturing faults thus far. 
 
There is one further issue that has me flummoxed at the moment and that is to do with the gas burner. The issue is this. Although all set-up routines have been followed, including calibration of the burner flame, once the boiler gets to operating pressure and the engine starts running, very shortly thereafter the boiler flame goes out although there is still plenty of gas in the tank. The flame can be relit, but initially burns at the top of the stack and only goes back to the burner when the gas is turned down a little. It then burns correctly for a few seconds and goes out again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum.
 
My initial thought after re-reading all of the material on manufacturer’s website, was that perhaps the gas being used was of insufficient quality and was then clogging up the jets in the burner. Yesterday, I purchased some so-called premium quality Butane. The blurb on the can alleges that it has been purified 11 times and claims to burn hotter and longer than cheaper products. Its gas mix content is stated to be 60% butane, 36% isobutane, and 2% propane. Alas, on testing the same problem returned.
 
What I don’t understand is why the burner seems to work correctly initially, but after a few minutes develops this fault.
 
I have written to the supplier/manufacturer but am yet to hear back from them (and may not – they have been problematic with communications in the past).
 
In the meantime, after lengthy discussion of alternatives with the guru, I decided to make a modification to how the engine sits in the hull. Basically, this involves removing some of the frames from under where the engine sits and inserting a hardwood plate, epoxied into the bottom of the hull to hold the engine assembly. This will get the engine a lot lower in the hull and greatly reduce the height difference/angle to the prop shaft. Here is a picture after the preliminary surgery on the frames.
 

 
My guru also found among his odds and ends a very nice universal joint that comes out of the model car world. It is a lot less bulky than the standard universals and should work a treat in the AQ. He has also made for me a flywheel to go on the end of the engine shaft - he says this is essential to smooth the operation of the engine. I know nothing of these matters, so defer to his expertise here.
 
I am also going to change the rudder support (skeg) and will instead use a piece of brass bar for this purpose. I will epoxy a small wooden block in the base of the hull on the inside, and will then be able to screw the brass skeg into that. This will make the skeg level with the base of the keel and in doing so, will overcome my propellor clearance issue so that I can still use the 40mm prop.
 
The other issue I’m now working on is to address the poor fit of the upper deck. As I’m going to plank over this, the provided deck will be the substrate for my planking. I made up a cardboard template for the required shape by tracing around the inverted hull to help with the process. The pencil line inside the outer  edge of the template shows where the existing deck lies – it’s only out a small amount, but enough to cause headaches.
 

 
I then cut the deck substrate down the centreline and placed the two halves so that they just covered the outer edge of the template and marked their positiong relative to the centreline of the template. This showed an overall gap of 10mm (or 5mm per side).
 

 
It was then a fairly simple matter to add some filler pieces to achieve the correct shape. The picture below shows that I needed to make a T-shaped piece to fit at the bow to close the gap previously cut for the stem post. I will now need to re-shape the bow and re-cut that slot. The picture below shows the filler pieces in place but not yet glued. They have since been glued in place awaiting final trimming. 
 

 
More to follow once I have news on the steam plant and/or further surgery modifications have been completed.