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Cleat

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Everything posted by Cleat

  1. Cleat
    Congratulations on finishing your riverboat. I think it looks really good. Your modifications give it a unique look. I hope mine turns out as nice as yours. I can relate to your conclusions.
  2. Cleat
    I’ve been processing various components with paint, stain, and finish. I made about half of the railings. I tried painting the stairway stringers with my airbrush to prevent paint from clogging the step recesses but the air pressure would cause the pieces to blow around so I ended up painting them with a brush, I’ll touch them up when I cut them to size. The kit doesn’t have all of the bench pieces so I made a few pieces from scrap. I installed the anti-hogging masts before installing the railings to prevent me from disturbing the railings when working with the masts. (I haven't installed the wheel house yet). I cut the third deck out of the full-scale drawing and placed it on the third deck so I can identify where the railing columns should go. I figure the second deck columns will be a good reference to align the first deck and third deck columns and posts. My plan is to install a second deck column, then install a railing and another column to work my way around the deck. I noticed the holes for the steam stacks at the rear don't align with the drawing. I won't know how accurate the railing columns align with the drawing until I install a few of them.
  3. Cleat
    I've started to do the things you recently built, it is really helpful to see things in detail (good pictures). I like your brass & rope railing (my brother made a similar railing for a lake view deck). I'm curious what you use to bend the brass?
  4. Cleat
    Sharp eye, the upper deck is 2 mm off. I see that the blocks are attached to the masts with wire. I'm wondering how to attach the wire to the masts, the blocks have holes but I haven't determined how it all goes together. What kind of knot should be used to tie the the guy-wire thread?
  5. Cleat
    I put the wheel house together and I didn’t notice that I put the back panel on backwards until it was too late; I’ll be putting the stairs to the other side of the structure. I painted the helm brown and added a bronze accent. I had curved the top plywood but it didn’t take, somehow it flattened itself out (I’m guessing it happened when I put the planking on it then put a weight on in). I installed window frames but I’m debating if I want to try making the windows. (I have a photography box to take pictures of my pen turning hobby). I’ve been working on the various masts and smoke stacks. I drilled .9 mm holes in the mast turn-buckles but the holes seemed too small for the .8 mm thread so I drilled them out to 1.2 mm. I also installed the eyelets to the various masts. When I test fit the large smoke stacks I discovered I need to make some adjustments.
  6. Cleat
    Thanks for the help and pointing out the parts list continues on page 25. When I came across the General Tips in a different language I assumed the rest of the manual was instructions for different languages - my stupid mistake. And thanks for the explanation about the masts. I normally use digital calipers to check the thickness of the wood, I didn't notice the difference between the 4mm & 5mm stock until I was about to cut a second piece - then I checked the diameters.
  7. Cleat
    I reached the end of the Parts List I noticed the parts list stops at item 183, I rely on the parts list to identify component sizes and material, I’m disappointed that the parts list is incomplete. I look at the color pictures to determine how parts are orientated and the full-size drawing helps determine the size of components. But I’ve confused 4mm & 5mm round stock and I have to fix a piece I cut short. The full-scale drawing shows items on or near the top of some poles but I haven't determined how the rope contacts the poles, I’m trying to figure out if I need to drill holes or make guides for the rope (I don’t know the names of components – they aren’t in the parts list). Test fitting the poles: I used a 4mm drill bit to align the holes between the two decks, I used the drill bit to elongate the holes to achieve the required alignment and angle. The forward angled post was aligned with the lower bar support so I had to elongate the holes further to miss the support.
  8. Cleat
    I’m scoping out the installation of the railings. I found a good discussion in another thread: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/20603-king-of-the-mississippi-by-john-gummersall-finished-artesania-latina-scale-180/?do=findComment&comment=694399 I decided to cut out the third deck from the full-size drawing and place it on the deck to establish where to put the columns. I’m trying to decide on an assembly procedure. I’ll start with the second deck railings which will help set the locations for the main deck columns and the third deck posts. But I think I should install the various beams that go through the decks before I start the railings.
  9. Cleat
    I noticed my grate assembly below the state room didn’t match the opening in the third deck. I choose not to use the walnut pieces (items 121 & 122), I used scrap from the laser cut skeleton to register one side of the assembly. Tip: save all your scrap. I glued the third deck assembly to the main structure. When I clamped it, it creaked a couple times – nothing broke so I let the glue cure.
  10. Cleat
    I made a jig and it works. The tricky part is putting the components in the jig. I glued a piece of Sapelli scrap from the kit to set the height of the metal component and sandwiched it with the wood components. The right side guide is loose, I hold it in place while I apply CA glue to the joint, then spray some CA glue activator on the assembly and let it set for a few minutes. I found toothpicks didn't work very well for me when I made the forward railings so I got some Glue Loopers which work really well. A set of 10 cost $13.75 at the manufacturer's site (http://www.creativedynamicllc.com/home.html) and they are reusable (use a lighter to remove any excess glue); they fit in any Exacto tool.
  11. Cleat
    The railings are hard. I decided to assemble the railings on the second deck at the circular stairs. I knew this task would be hard but I figured I should try it because there is a lot of railings to make. It was difficult to get the railing components to glue together. Every time I handled them a component would separate and I’d have to try and re-glue it. I used CA glue to attach the white metal sections to the supports and I used wood glue to attach the wood components. After several frustrating attempts, I managed to complete the assembly and glue it in place before I caused any more problems. It turned out messy and the metal parts weren't centered. I realized I needed to come up with a better way to glue the metal component to the wood components. My plan is to make a jig to hold the metal at the right height to attach it to the middle of the upper and lower railing wood. I made an attempt at this process only to glue my spacer to the railing – but I think I can make it work.
  12. Cleat
    The planking has been glued to the piece so I don't think soaking it will work (it was flat when I was applying finish to it). I'll try heat with some steam from an iron to flatten it.
  13. Cleat
    I assembled the grate standoff for the state room. I have a hobby drill press with X-axis capability for my Dremel tool. The X-axis feature has 40 mm of travel which worked for the 42 mm gaps between the stand offs. I used double-sided tape to fix a reference block on a piece of plywood. I used the reference board to position the standoff structure on part of the tape to hold it in place while drilling holes for the pins. I determined a number of turns for the X-axis travel adjustment between the drill points, the distribution mostly turned out consistent. I had made a slight counter sync for the head of the pins, most of them were flush. This is how it turned out: I've been working on all of the structures above the third deck. I test fit the structures and noticed the the wheel house platform is warped and I'm wondering how to flatten it. I need to find some material for the openings along the top of the state room. And I need to determine how to trim the front windows of the state room, the instructions aren't very clear (I've been checking other logs for tips).
  14. Cleat
    When I trimmed the edge piece of the third deck I damaged some planks, I'm not sure how I can fix this.
  15. Cleat
    I planked the third deck. I had divided the deck into equal quadrants like I did for the main deck but looking at the cutout I decided to reduce the size of the middle quadrants, I went with 35 mm for the middle quadrants and 60 mm for the outside quadrants. I also planked the state room walls, floor, and ceiling. I had assembled the state room before I planked it, I should have planked the sides before assembly, it would have been easier to trim the edges. I had problems trimming the edges, several pieces broke or separated from the structure. I cut the deck posts for the bottom deck and while applying finish to each one I realized I should have finished the wood before I cut them. I’m finishing the other posts before I cut them and I’m looking at other pieces that I want to finish before cutting them to size. I’ve been applying finish to several things.
  16. Cleat
    I completed the state room compartment (the second deck). I was not looking forward to painting the windows, doors, and shutters. It turned out OK when viewed from a distance but close up you can see my marginal skill with a brush. Test fitting the assembly to the deck (I started working on the third deck): For the grates I stained the plywood knowing it would absorb the stain unevenly, I wanted to see what the effect would look like - I could always paint them. It took a couple coats to get the effect I wanted. Once I glued the pieces together, I discovered how delicate the assembly is when I tried to trim them to size. The tiny glue joints can easily become disconnected or break. I used an airbrush to paint the windows/doors/shutters a brown base color. Brown is hard to mix. I watched a couple videos and it looked like you can get brown from a variety of color mixtures but that didn’t work for me. I was getting muddy gray with a tint of some color. It took me three attempts to get a paint mixture close to brown. The brown color is actually a muddy purple. For the shutters I wanted to mix a lighter brown and lightly paint the spine and highlight the edges of the shutters. I tried to mix a lighter brown but my brush paints mix differently than the airbrush paint. It also took three tries to get a complementary color that resembles light brown (but it is really a muddy gold). I would load my brush with paint, then swipe it on a paper towel to reduce the paint load and lightly brush the center of the shutters. It turned out but not as clean I hoped. For the windows and doors, I went with a light yellow. I tried to paint within the window panes but that wasn’t going to work for me. I ended up painting outside the lines of the window panes so I wiped the excess off so I could see framing and cross rails. (I wasn’t able to get all the yellow off).
  17. Cleat
    I didn't know they had a version with a motor to rotate the paddle wheel (my paddle wheel is so loose it hits structure when rotated). How is it powered? Have you tried putting the band on the interior pulley by working the band from the rear opening? I'm guessing you probably won't need to put the band on unless it breaks over time. The only thing I can see is to make the rear wall removable. Use some scrap from the laser cut panels to make a frame for the rear wall to attach to the frame.
  18. Cleat
    I built the paddle wheels. I painted the red base with an airbrush and hand painted the black accents (it has been a long time since I tried painting with a small brush). I ran a piece of sandpaper through the yokes for the wood to remove paint. I tried putting a dot of gray paint on the bolts but my painting skill wasn't good enough for that detail. I made a 23 mm guide from scrap to locate the four paddle wheel supports. It took awhile to align everything and just as I was going to start the assembly, I bummed it knocking supports out of alignment and it took even longer to get it back to where I had it. The shaft is a loose fit through the paddle wheels. I installed one board with a force fit, then I glued the second board using CA glue several spokes away from the first one to help lock the alignment of wheels. I put a few drops of CA glue on a small plastic bag (I learned CA glue doesn’t stick to those bags from my pen turning hobby). I used a flat toothpick to put a drop of glue in each yoke. This assembly has a big visual affect for the boat.
  19. Cleat
    The stairs are a difficult assembly. I was happy that I was able to accomplish the task.
  20. Cleat
    The Spiral Staircases When I bent the first railing posts I was only concerned about the diameter (a spice jar was the right diameter). But I discovered the height was way short. For the second railing I made an attempt to match the height between the decks, I came close but a little short. I decided to re-bend the first railing and it came out a little tall, the center post became crooked after the stairs broke and I reglued the parts (the picture in a previous post shows it was square at one point). Gluing the railing posts to the stack of stairs was tricky, it was hard to hold the assembly in position until the glue set a bit. I tried to glue both assemblies the same but aligning the pieces varied. I used my hands to clamp the piece to the stairs (for 3 songs) then it would hold in place while I added some clamps until the glue fully cured. To fix the height problem I would have to deconstruct the railing and that wasn’t going to happen. When I assembled the two staircases, I broke 2 posts and cracked 2 others - deconstruction would be a disaster. I decided to live with my mistakes and move on. On a positive note, I got practice and some knowledge for future kits. And I liked how my walnut embellishment turned out. This is how it turned out:
  21. Cleat
    Thanks for the tip. I haven't started Step 30 yet. I'm advancing several steps at the same time. I painted the paddle wheel metal parts and I'm finishing the planks. I air brushed the windows, doors, and shutter pieces with a base brown coat but I haven't decided how to paint the individual window panes, I don't want to paint them freehand and I haven't come up with a template idea yet. I made the second deck grates but haven't installed them yet (I need to do some filing to the grates and the opening to get a proper fit).
  22. Cleat
    I’ve been working on the spiral staircases. I added walnut plank pieces to personalize the staircases. The picture shows a test fitting, they came up short. (The gap is smaller when I hold the bottom flush with the deck). When I bent the railing for the left side, I came up way short of the staircase height so I soaked the piece a second time, it straightened out and I bent it again to match the height of the steps. When I re-bent the railing, the top spear got out of its clamp and now it is straight which sticks out from under the deck. It looks like I’ll need to add a spacer at the top of each staircase. And I’ll probably cut the spear off the left staircase and reattach it at an angle to fit under the deck. It might take a little contem-beer-plating to figure out the fixes. I stained the hand rails and I’m nervous about attaching them to the staircase assemblies. I don’t know how well the hand rail will attach to the tops of the posts.
  23. Cleat
    I’m learning the Sain Smart 3018-PROVer CNC machine, I intend to use it for engraving wood. For my riverboat project I’ll use the router configuration to make a sign with the name of the boat. I picked it because it can be ordered with a laser and a router. I wanted a small machine with lead screws and the Prover can be upgraded if my needs change. I’m also learning QCADCAM to create .DXF files (drawing) and .NC files (G-code). I made a simple icon drawing (in mm) and created both types of files. To test the laser configuration, I imported the .DXF file into Lightburn. Lightburn converts the drawing into G-code and controls the CNC machine to reproduce the drawing in wood. After some experimentation I was successful. You can create drawings in Lightburn or import drawing files (Lightburn is excellent for lasers). To test the router configuration, I used the G-code file (.NC) with control software to operate the CNC machine to etch the drawing in wood. And it worked - although it took me a week of frustration (from learning the software & making mistakes) to get the different software to work together. I tried several open-source machine control software; Candle (came with Prover), USG, and OpenBuilds Control. They all work but I think they prefer files with metric dimensions. I’m happy to see that everything works. But I now realize I will need to perform a bunch of tests and do some configuration tasks. I also have to look into dealing with wood smoke from the laser and vacuuming dust from the router (I hadn’t thought about that until I used it).
  24. Cleat
    Thanks Bob, I've been referencing your build and it has been helpful.
  25. Cleat
    I've been filing the window openings in the second deck structure to fit the metal windows. I'm looking into making the gratings (step 26, item 77) on the second deck (the large openings). They look like they are assembled from straight pieces. I came across a bag of 20 interlocking pieces (instructions call out 20 pieces). Should I assemble the large grate structure, then cut the two grates from the structure? I expected the pieces to be sized for the openings. I don't see any other use for these pieces in the documents.

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