leclaire

Thanks for the explanation Brian. Makes sense for what you are building.
 
Bob

Thanks for the explanation Brian. Makes sense for what you are building.
 
Bob

Mini-splits are great, years ago we removed our furnace and installed a couple instead. They're more energy-efficient and eliminate using all that ductwork that can get dirty/dusty/moldy. Won't work for every house design (e.g. if you have lots of isolated rooms) but we have a fairly open floor plan that allows air to circulate (installing a few ceiling fans helps with this). We heat primarily with wood but the units provide a backup, and are far better than window A/C in the summer. Plus it's easier to close off rooms we don't want to heat/cool as much (such as spare bedrooms) by just shutting the door, rather than closing a vent but still having all that hot/cold air blown through ductwork to a dead end. Definitely a great choice for a setting like Brian's.

Roger, since we live in the country and this room is out in our barn, I wanted to make sure that I could keep out as much of the creepy-crawly critters as I could. The wood sheathing has some gaps in it, so they can get in through there, but the taping and mudding should help seal some of it off. I also spray foamed some of the bigger gaps and caulked under the toe boards as an extra precaution to help protect the exterior walls. It may be a little extreme, but I wanted to do it right. 
 
-Brian

Hey Bob, a mini-split is basically a scaled down version of a home heat pump unit. There is an outdoor condenser with the cooling/heating unit inside the room. The two units are connected by copper tubing and control wires. This particular unit is a 1 ton designed to climate control about 550sq ft.  More than enough to keep my little 240sq ft comfortable. It is also a lot more energy efficient than a standard window unit. Nice part about it is it has a feature where I can control it from my cell phone so I can warm it up or cool it down before leaving the house. 😁 Gotta love that modern technology. 

-Brian

Brian,
 
At the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is a mini-split unit? Obviously it has something to do with air conditioning and seeing two boxes suggests the split reference. How does this work in your case with one room to cool.
 
Bob

Brian,
 
At the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is a mini-split unit? Obviously it has something to do with air conditioning and seeing two boxes suggests the split reference. How does this work in your case with one room to cool.
 
Bob

Brian,
 
At the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is a mini-split unit? Obviously it has something to do with air conditioning and seeing two boxes suggests the split reference. How does this work in your case with one room to cool.
 
Bob

Brian,
 
At the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is a mini-split unit? Obviously it has something to do with air conditioning and seeing two boxes suggests the split reference. How does this work in your case with one room to cool.
 
Bob

Brian,
 
At the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is a mini-split unit? Obviously it has something to do with air conditioning and seeing two boxes suggests the split reference. How does this work in your case with one room to cool.
 
Bob

Brian,
 
At the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is a mini-split unit? Obviously it has something to do with air conditioning and seeing two boxes suggests the split reference. How does this work in your case with one room to cool.
 
Bob

Time for another update.
 
Day 11:
With the extremely appreciative help from my boys we were able to get all of the ceiling drywall put up. It took the better part of the day, but it is done. I was even able to talk them into putting up the ceiling insulation as well. I guess I raised them right.


 
Day 12:
Back to working solo. Today was taping and bedding. Another slow process. I tried as best as possible to minimize the amount of seams in the drywall, but there was still al lot to contend with. I have a few more seams on the ceiling to finish up with, the overhead work sure takes it's toll on the shoulders and neck.

 

 
Day 13:
As I was typing this, the delivery truck showed up with my mini-split unit. Just in time, the days are really starting to warm up.

 
Looking forward to this nice long weekend coming up to finish the taping and getting the AC installed. I might even be able to start detailing the walls. Thanks for stopping by.
 
-Brian
 

I made up the hatches that are on the deck and fitted them into place and then started to do the floor and the sides of the boiler pit. I cut out to openings to show were they got the coal for the boiler from. I now started to cover the deck in 2mm x 5mm lime wood planks. I then cut out the beams that went across the back put the planks in on the sides and then put in new crossmembers. All done with no problems.
 
John

Dear fellow builders,
I`m pleased to find all this nice response with my Ergenstrasse introduction, and shall be posting the first available pics of the log herewith.......
 
Gary
the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was my most detailed model to date, I`m pleased that you liked it
 
Mark
thanks for looking in and further enjoy the build
 
Paul
I`m very pleased you like it
 
Roger
thanks very much for your kind and interesting to read input on this behalf
 
Andy
Yes, I remember it was a waterline-model kit from the webs homepage of Sylvan models. The pic in my introduction was just to give an idea what a Laker steamer would look like
 
Nils
 

dimensions / data
 

hull, frameplan and lines taken from wooden Ferris design steamer (Emergancy Fleet)
 

frames adopted to transparent paper glued onto 3 layer birch plywood
 

frame set up on the base building board
 

a lot of jigsaw work.....
 

the raw cut tiles for better handling
 

the hull shape is coming on with every frame, the edge outcuts are for placing the stringers
 

 

here to be seen, the square bar "backbone" of the hull. This will also take up the mounting spindles for the stand pedetals
 

an additional keel bar is placed underneath the square bar
 

next in progress will be the mounting of the stringers and check of the lines staking

IThe “Lake” class of steamships were steel hulled vessels built by shipyards along the shores of the Great Lakes.  Over 75 of these were built in Duluth, Minnesota’s Riverside neighborhood along the St Louis River that flows into the Western End of Lake Superior.  In addition to constructing the shipyard the owners built an entire community; apartment buildings, houses, recreation clubs, etc.  The houses are still lived in.
 
The Ships were based on the Norwegian Fredrickstad design with dimensions limited for passage through the Welland Canal around Niagara Falls and the locks around the rapids in the St Lawrence River.  This limited length to about 240ft.  Most if not all were not completed in time to stem the WW I shipping crisis.    Construction stretched into 1920, and of course they then contributed to a glut of shipping that depressed prices.  The Riverside Yard closed shortly thereafter.  The yard’s owners formed a Great Lakes fleet composed of these vessels.  Known as the “Poker Fleet,” the Ships were named Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten. In the first picture that you posted above Corsicana’s cargo gear has been fitted out for the lumber trade.
 
You should be able to find drawings.  The American kit manufacturer A.J. Fisher used to sell a kit and drawings for one of these.
 
Roger

I`ve just kicked off my new project, It`s a tramp Laker Steamship based on an 3 island superstructure and on a real appr. 2150 tonnage freighter built in 1918, now in (H0) scale 1: 87.
Who still remembers the Warner Bros movie "The Sea Chase" of 1955 staring John Wayne in the roll of capt. Ehrlich of the ERGENSTRASSE and Lana Turner as an attractive female agent as the only passenger.
 
I investigated and found out that the Laker ship "Corsicana" aka "Margaret Shafer" had been engaged for the movie in 1955, hereby renamed to ERGENSTRASSE.
For my model I used the Corsicana`s data  for the Ergenstrasse rating and for hull, frameplan and general shapes those of a wooden Ferris-Ship of the American emergency fleet, being round about the length, width and depth an tonnage of the Laker Corsicana .
The movie ship was fitted with the following changes compared to the Corsicana :
- Masts changed from four to two, these placed in the forward and aft welldeck areas
- Outer bridge ends fitted with wing cabs
 
My model will be performed completely from scratch and in the same way as my previous models and bearing a rivited metal plating skin
 
Data for model ERGENSTRASSE
scale           1:87 (H0)
Length        87 cm
width          15 cm
depth            7 cm
 
I decided to fit 23 plywood frames, and to provide stringers and pine plank strips beneath the metal plating
The model will set up on 2 brass pedestals and wooden stand baseplate
 
Nils

This is the Corsicana, built 1918

This is the steamship ERGENSTRASSE aka Corsicana aka margaret Schafer

Captain Ehrlich aka John Wayne




This is a pic from the web representing a laker steam freighter, not my model

'Figured it was likely a 'temporary' glitch ...  and reminds one how quickly things could just 'go away' in the event of some cyber-war, gigantic solar mass ejection event aimed directly at earth (one knocked out all telegraphs in the 1800s) or some global catastrophe (don't want to imaging one right now) .  The convenience and scope of information available at one's fingertips through this and other forums is awesome, though, and it sure beats the 'old days' of scrounging through municipal libraries - which never had the sort of 'builders' techniques' laid-out with such clarity.
 
  I'm doing things I never thought practical (or even possible) with present technology ... from complex spreadsheets to Photoshop wizardry to sound editing and desktop publishing.  'Guess the rewards justify the risks, and one can always try to minimize those with multiple thumb drive AND paper backups.

Back with more.
 
Day seven:
I finally finished up with the itchy stuff. At least for the walls. Long sleeves, long pants, goggles and a mask was still not able to keep those tiny fibers of glass from making me itch. Maybe it was just a mental thing, but I'm glad to be done with that part.

 
Day 8 -10:
Time for the drywall. This is a slow process when you are hanging each sheet by yourself. Took me a few days to get this done. Thankfully my sons are coming over this weekend to help with the ceiling drywall.

 

 

 

 
Once we get the ceiling completed, it will really start looking like a room. I am hoping that I can con, swindle, bribe, or guilt my boys into putting the insulation on top of the ceiling so I can avoid the itch monster again. Also, my mini-split unit should be arriving some time next week. Once I get that installed It should make for a more comfortable working environment.
 
Well that is all for now. I'll post more after this weekends progress. Time to go and get some of this mess cleaned up.
 
-Brian

Thank you Keith for the reminder.  One thing I did incorporate into the design was wood floors. So much easier to find dropped parts.  I have a feeling that once I move out of my current spot in the house, that the hundreds of tiny pieces that I offered up to the carpet Gods will miraculously turn up. As for the "where did I put that "xxxxxx" craft knife" desk, science has yet to develop a remedy for this, so even with the new room, I am doomed to forever be on the search for that elusive knife.  
 
-Brian

Very elaborate shed Brian. I think however you have missed the most important feature from your plans - the lost bits black hole! Also you seem to omitted the "where did I put that "xxxxxx" craft knife" desk.  I hope you haven't got so far that you can't change the design!

boboandlucy, Thanks for your kind comments on the pilothouse.  It was a bit of a challenge to make.
 
An updated hurricane deck.  I have added the verge pole, water tank, rafts, safety planks, and five boats ,along with the unfinished davits.  All are just placed and not affixed to the deck.  I have lots of detail work that still needs to be done here. I did add the three drains from the hurricane to boiler deck, along with the two additional hurricane deck supports for the forward life boat.  
 


I am thinking about adding the stacks and then coming back to do the detail work.  It is starting to look like a sternwheeler but still has a long way to go.  Once the hurricane deck is complete, I still need to do all of the bulwarks, capstan and jackstaff at the bow.  And tons of little odds and ends that I have yet to start.  
 

Thank you Yves! I do have several kits stored away that I might be able to find room for. If I come up short on space, that’s always a good excuse to add on. 😁
 
-Brian

Fantastic project! And here I am looking forward to expanding from a 2'x4' workbench to a corner of a small spare bedroom! This looks really cool and you know I respect DIY projects. Will be fun to see it come together, and I love the exterior aesthetic already.

Oh most definitely Keith. I will have plenty of lighting. The can lights are just for the room itself. If you notice that on the ceiling joists there are blue boxes mounted there. These are for some 4' hanging LED light bars that I currently use in my "temporary" shipyard. Plus I will also be using the LED articulating magnifying lights that are on my bench now as well as LED light strips mounted under the shelves and upper cabinets that I will be installing. With all of the lights that I have planned, I may need sunscreen and sunglasses when I turn them all on.  
 
-Brian

Nice start, Brian. Being serious when I ask, are you sure you're going to have enough lighting? What may work now you'll find inadequate in a decade or so. You can never have too much lighting.