texxn5

Still overviews

Here is a couple of overall shots 

These are pictures on deck withe the anchor chains

Well, one thing about waiting for something in the mail, is that you get to do a lot of fiddly little stuff.  So, today I made 2 bits, a small ladder, added bucket hangers, made the anchor chain pipes, cut and trimmed the anchor chains and wrapped them around the windlass and back to the anchor chain pipes for stowage below decks.  Next I have been studying the dreaded Tryworks.  I started with the foundation framing for the Tryworks which is where I am right now.  The anchor chain is larger than the kit chains, so I couldn't use the cast Brittania parts that came from MS.  I took a dowel, and drilled a hole in it, then filed it to where the walls were thin, yet allowed the chain to go through it.  Tedious in that I had to drill them by hand, cut with a razor saw without breaking them....same for the frames.....needless to say this took quite a lot of time....and about 8 trys before I got it done.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the drawplate arrives...I guess I'll stop and make enough harpoons and lances to fit in the racks under the Shelter Roof, then put on the roof and then come back to the Tryworks.  

Still a couple of more to show progess

and the up to date ones 

Hello Dave and Popeye,   I just thought I would share with you what I decided to do.  I have been researching this for some time now knowing what I was instore for.  I've looked at the Evergreen bricks, model railroad bricks and several others.  None would be right especiall in scale and effect.  So I decided to make my own bricks and lay them like real ones.  I've done this in real life before, and surprised myself.  That's what I mean about different hats depending on the job.  So I build the framework, cut about 300 bricks from 1mm x 2 mm stock at 5mm lengths using a jig and my Amati Chopper.  Then using a Miller Lite box, I cut thin strips of cardboard to use for mortar.  It is .65mm thick.  I will then fill in the areas between the brick ends to create the affect I want.  I'll then paint the mortar areas white, and then the bricks I'll paint a flat red.  I'm using copper strip to frame the doors, and I'll construct the cooktop from copper sheet.  Here's how it looks right now as I build the brick oven.  Thanks for all your suggestions, I greatly appreciate it.  This is probably just an area you just have to make from scratch......hmmm, I hate to use that word around here..... 

Hey John,
 
Oooooooooh - - - scratche-ing!!!!   The dark side is calling, calling, calling calling.  Hear the siren song John????   
 
That looks really terrif! 
 
Cheers, 

and the up to date ones 

Still a couple of more to show progess

Hello Dave and Popeye,   I just thought I would share with you what I decided to do.  I have been researching this for some time now knowing what I was instore for.  I've looked at the Evergreen bricks, model railroad bricks and several others.  None would be right especiall in scale and effect.  So I decided to make my own bricks and lay them like real ones.  I've done this in real life before, and surprised myself.  That's what I mean about different hats depending on the job.  So I build the framework, cut about 300 bricks from 1mm x 2 mm stock at 5mm lengths using a jig and my Amati Chopper.  Then using a Miller Lite box, I cut thin strips of cardboard to use for mortar.  It is .65mm thick.  I will then fill in the areas between the brick ends to create the affect I want.  I'll then paint the mortar areas white, and then the bricks I'll paint a flat red.  I'm using copper strip to frame the doors, and I'll construct the cooktop from copper sheet.  Here's how it looks right now as I build the brick oven.  Thanks for all your suggestions, I greatly appreciate it.  This is probably just an area you just have to make from scratch......hmmm, I hate to use that word around here..... 

It does indeed. Check your scale however. It is tricky to get the 'just right' look. The sheets are formed in brick red color and you wash in the gray mortar paint for the total brick wall effect. Maybe it was my technique but I was not very happy with these results on my build - I was going to use brick for the camboose floor but shifted away for 2 reasons: 1) with research it appeared to be a floor of lead or weathered copper and 2) I failed to achieve the brick effect described.

thanks John........that brick is going to be tough to mimic.   look in model train layout supplies to see if they have anything like this....either a paper or wood texture.   look forward seeing this develop

John,
 
Nice update. I note that you really get around and have visited several ships, very nice. Good for you. One day I need to get to the East coast, several ships that must be great to board.
 
Michael

Still overviews

Here is a couple of overall shots 

These are pictures on deck withe the anchor chains

Hi Popeye, thanks for the comments.  This is my third attempt to post this one.  The last two times I got the text of what I wanted to say and when I went to download pictures AOL lost everything and rebooted....this happens more than I  like.   So, I will try again.  The Tryworks is actually an onboard Whale Oil Refinery.  It consists of a Fire Brick Oven with two cauldrons built in over the fire.  When a whale is being processed, the blubber is cooked in the cauldrons, there is a workbench for cutting up the pieces, a bench vice, a stone grinding wheel, and then the oil goes into a cooling tank and then into wood barrels to be stowed down below in the holds.  Then the scraps go into a copper scrap bin to be discarded later.  There is also a Duck Pen as part of it.  This is where the masonary "hat" comes into play.  As I have said before, it's amazing how many skills or trades we incorporate into these things.  Masonry, welding, and soldering hats will be utilized for this one.  Here are some pictures of the real one onboard the Morgan in Mystic.

These are pictures on deck withe the anchor chains

Still overviews

Well, one thing about waiting for something in the mail, is that you get to do a lot of fiddly little stuff.  So, today I made 2 bits, a small ladder, added bucket hangers, made the anchor chain pipes, cut and trimmed the anchor chains and wrapped them around the windlass and back to the anchor chain pipes for stowage below decks.  Next I have been studying the dreaded Tryworks.  I started with the foundation framing for the Tryworks which is where I am right now.  The anchor chain is larger than the kit chains, so I couldn't use the cast Brittania parts that came from MS.  I took a dowel, and drilled a hole in it, then filed it to where the walls were thin, yet allowed the chain to go through it.  Tedious in that I had to drill them by hand, cut with a razor saw without breaking them....same for the frames.....needless to say this took quite a lot of time....and about 8 trys before I got it done.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the drawplate arrives...I guess I'll stop and make enough harpoons and lances to fit in the racks under the Shelter Roof, then put on the roof and then come back to the Tryworks.  

Well, one thing about waiting for something in the mail, is that you get to do a lot of fiddly little stuff.  So, today I made 2 bits, a small ladder, added bucket hangers, made the anchor chain pipes, cut and trimmed the anchor chains and wrapped them around the windlass and back to the anchor chain pipes for stowage below decks.  Next I have been studying the dreaded Tryworks.  I started with the foundation framing for the Tryworks which is where I am right now.  The anchor chain is larger than the kit chains, so I couldn't use the cast Brittania parts that came from MS.  I took a dowel, and drilled a hole in it, then filed it to where the walls were thin, yet allowed the chain to go through it.  Tedious in that I had to drill them by hand, cut with a razor saw without breaking them....same for the frames.....needless to say this took quite a lot of time....and about 8 trys before I got it done.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the drawplate arrives...I guess I'll stop and make enough harpoons and lances to fit in the racks under the Shelter Roof, then put on the roof and then come back to the Tryworks.  

Hello again fellow shipwrights.
 
Today I actually started with the conning tower, hurray 
I started with the crew hatch tubes, the AA gun tubes and the periscope tubes and the snorkel exhaust and intake tubes.   At least I still have more access to the bottom part of the boat.  In order to secure the crew hatch tubes I had to cut a hole in the deck structure to get to the pressure hull.  This'll give me more meat" (wood) to cement them securely.  For the AA gun mount tube I had to cut their holes also to the pressure hull but in the center of it I have to install a smaller diameter tube for the retractable gun mount.  I went all the way down to the vertical false keel for this.  This arrangement will act like a hydraulic lift.  Instead of an other brass tube to slide inside I made a wooden dowel instead.  This seemed easier to attach the gun mount platform to then using brass.   
 
I have to wait with completely finishing allthese tubes with the hinges, lids and ladders for the crew hatch tubes and the "hydraulic lift" with gun platform and gun mount, hinges and lid till the framing for the con is done to the point of being ready to receive the deck.  That way I can know with certainty how long these tubes must be and gives me access for the epoxy cementing job.  
 
I'll use the same procedure for the snorkel system exhaust, intake and the periscopes.  They all retract, at least that's the plan.  There is also an antenna mast to consider.  Now I'm coming to a lot of fiddly detail work.  Well, at least it's a start and will be slow going.  I used the detail drawings of the con that Remco send to make the drawings to my scale.  That way I can just measure right from my drawings.  
 
I might as well go on record and tell y'all that I owe Remco and Gino den Ridder a ton of gratitude for their help.  Remco being able and willing to go to the Navy Archive in the Hague and search for drawings I have a need of.  Thank you both gentlemen.
 
I also cemented a small strip of brass behind the anchor cowl.  It was just too delicate end with playing with the anchor it buckled easily.  I also painted the anchor flat black, the pics show some shine on it but in actuality it looks really nice.  Y'all come and visit   
 
Well, here are a few pics of today's work.
 

The completed and now painted anchor being hauled up.
 

The anchor almost ready to slide into it's little "house."
 

Here is the anchor safely stowed away.
 

All three hatch tubes for the con are cut to some oversize and stuck into position.  The tubes for the AA guns is another matter.  They are of a larger diameter and I could try making them myself from some brass sheet or use the 0.7 mm styrene I just received.  The dilemma is how to attach the hinge hardware.  I could solder the hinges to a strip of 0.1 brass shim stock and then cement that to the outside of the styrene tube.  I have to do some thinking about that. 
 
Cheers,

Thanks to the many who visited my shipyard and clicked on "like."
 
@ John (texxn5), Thank you for your appreciation and kind words!  I'm looking forward to seeing your harpoons.  Looks like you are making the shafts from wood, good idea.  yeah, it would be nice to live closer buy.  I would also like to visit so many folks on MSW personally and see their work in reality.
 
@ Remco, thanks my friend, it kinda worked okay after a few tries.  That 0.1 mm brass shim stock is rather flimsy to work with.
 
@ Daniel, Actually, it does have some heft to it.  A chain for the anchor - - - well, actually that black rope is a very strong steel cable  .  This boat has a main anchor that drops down from the forward keel and that sucker is heavy and big, it's called a mushroom anchor.  This side anchor is not meant to secure the boat in heavy weather.  Both anchors had steel cables that wound around a drum under the forward deck structure.  That's why these boats had an upturned forward deck to house the dual winch.  There was really no space for a chain winch and storage for a chain.  
 

This is the anchor winch with two drums, one for the main anchor and one for the side anchor.
 

This is a pic from the KXVIII Dutch sub in build dock.  You can see the anchor on the ground with the cable attached to it.
 
@ Popeye, thank you Popeye for your compliment.  Not only chipping paint but also banging dents in the ballast tank plating.  Yup, I had some very good examples to work with, thanks to Remco sending me some nice pics.
 
@ John (Lad), thanks you John, it worked out okay.
 
Cheers,

Hi Popeye, thanks for the comments.  This is my third attempt to post this one.  The last two times I got the text of what I wanted to say and when I went to download pictures AOL lost everything and rebooted....this happens more than I  like.   So, I will try again.  The Tryworks is actually an onboard Whale Oil Refinery.  It consists of a Fire Brick Oven with two cauldrons built in over the fire.  When a whale is being processed, the blubber is cooked in the cauldrons, there is a workbench for cutting up the pieces, a bench vice, a stone grinding wheel, and then the oil goes into a cooling tank and then into wood barrels to be stowed down below in the holds.  Then the scraps go into a copper scrap bin to be discarded later.  There is also a Duck Pen as part of it.  This is where the masonary "hat" comes into play.  As I have said before, it's amazing how many skills or trades we incorporate into these things.  Masonry, welding, and soldering hats will be utilized for this one.  Here are some pictures of the real one onboard the Morgan in Mystic.