SomethingIsFishy

So I see 3 basic sections of this project:

1) propulsion. I have the engine and it runs well on compressed air. I have a boiler but it’s missing some parts (water glass, pressure gauge, misc fittings) and would need to be hydro tested before I would feel comfortable using it, and I have a gasoline (?!) burner, but I don’t know if I have the guts to try to use it… I believe the boiler and burner are old Boucher (if I remember right the boiler model number is CF-1) I don’t have any shaft parts or a propeller.

2) The Vessel. I kind of like the look of the Victorian steam launch mentioned by Bob. Being able to see the engine would be a big plus for me… Not sure yet what is available for kits, and I’m not necessarily opposed to going scratch or watching for a “used” boat in various classifieds…

3) The Crew. I would want to have some control over the boat, so I would need a servo for the rudder, and one for a throttle, and a receiver/transmitter combo…

These are my thoughts so far…

So a while back I purchased a Stuart 10v steam engine because I like steam engines of all kinds and the price was right…

I’ve enjoyed it as a piece in a small collection (if I can call 3 engines a collection) of model steam engines, but there’s a part of me that thinks it might be fun to put it in a small model boat of some sort. The previous owner told me that her grandfather used to race model boats and this engine powered one of his boats, so there’s a bit of historical precedent to the whole idea…

At this point I’m just dipping my toe into the water (pun intended) and I’m not entirely sure if I really want to follow through on the idea, but at the least it might be fun talking about it.

 I have some ideas, but it’s getting late and I need to get some sleep, so I’ll post more of my thoughts later…

Any and all feedback is appreciated!!!

Thanks for the replies! This was a fun quick build, and I’ve already started on the City of Milwaukee car ferry! 

Thanks for all the replies! I’m definitely going to have to do more of these! I think I might try the City of Milwaukee car ferry next, that one will cross over between two hobbies for me (ships and trains).

Got most of the edge coloring done… makes a big difference!

Almost finished! (I might see about trying to hide some of the more obvious seams/edges with markers…)

I really enjoyed this build! It was just challenging enough to be fun, simple enough to be a quick build, and has a reasonable amount of detail for its size! 
 

Ok, now I’m going to get back to work on my longboat project…

Rear deck!

The funnel was challenging, but I think it came out ok…

Hatches and crane done!

Hatches…

and more hatches…

There’s a lot of hatches…

Decks installed!

Didn’t have a lot of time so this is all I did tonight…

The hull goes together quickly and without too much fuss…

I have a feeling that the superstructure might be a little more challenging, but I don’t expect it will be too difficult… this is a fun little build so far!

I am developing an interest in Great Lakes shipping, and I wanted a model of a Great Lakes freighter. I don’t have the funds right now for a full-on build, so I figured I’d look for something simple in card. I came across this kit from Lake Freighter Minis and figured it was worth a shot…

It’s only a water-line model, and I’m sure it’s not 100% accurate, but I’m ok with that. LFM doesn’t specify a scale, so I did some quick calculations based on the stated model length and the real thing and came up with about 1:550.

What I received was a nice envelope with thorough instructions and nicely printed sheets of fairly heavy card stock. 

We will see how this turns out!

Progress! A splash of color! I chose to paint the inside of the hull rather than stain it to hide the imperfections…

On 7/30/2022 at 11:28 AM, Frank Nichols said:

Hello, I am just starting on this model. I see you tapered the rabbit on the false keel. I was going to cut it as a square notch, which is what I have always thought of as a "rabbit". Is tapered the better choice here for a ship kneel? It appears that spot of the false keel will be where the "bottom" plank meets the keel, so, tapered would seem to make more sense now that I see what you did.

I am NOT criticizing, I am asking, I know NOTHING about what I am doing - lol! So, any advice or help would be appreciated.

Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve worked on the boat, and since I’ve been on the forum. Hopefully you found the answer already but if not… you want an angle in the rabbit to match the angle of the plank that fits into the rabbit… the planks don’t meet the keel at a 90 degree angle…

Starting to work on the inside…

Milestone reached!!

6 hours ago, rudybob said:

Are you gluing wet planks? Or shaping them then gluing?

Shaping then glueing. I just unclamped a few of the first planks when I thought they were dry and they didn’t hold their shape. 

Planking sure does take a while… I’ve found that if you don’t leave the wet planks clamped in place until they’re fully dry they won’t hold their shape…

I am making progress though…

12 minutes ago, rudybob said:

Did you craft or was there an included kit part that needing shaping for your bow filler? 

They’re included in the kit, in one of the laser cut sheets…

Figured out a better way to clamp the planks at the bow…

3 minutes ago, rudybob said:

Really Nice Job. I like your clothespin usage 

Thanks! The clothespins seem to be doing the job!

One more row of planking!

I anticipated running out of 1/16x1/4 planks, a quick trip to my local Hobby Lobby took care of that issue…

Also, the curve at the bow is turning out to be more challenging than I expected, but I think I’m winning…

Front view, I’m happy with how the planks are lining up…

Very true! When I look at the whole thing I think I’ll never get it done… but soaking one plank, clamping it up, letting it dry, and glueing it in place is pretty easy… can’t eat the whole elephant at once but if you just keep taking manageable bites you’ll eventually get there…

More planking…

trying to keep it symmetrical…