cog

Hi Guys
 
It's update time again.
 
Thanks one and all for your very kind comments and remarks also the like button, very much appreciated.
 
All the Beams are now completed, fitted and given two coats of WOP.
 
The Trimmer Beams were fitted as part of the Upper Deck along with the Carlings, next up came the Hanging Knees and Lodging Knees. Notches cut into the Lodging Knees and some of these proved problematic.
 
Because of my inability to Mill I used a sharp blade to cut the notches, the nature of the wood (Swiss Pear) which very soft some of the edges of the notches broke away, these then had to be remade. On reflection I would have done things differently in that I would not have cut the notches in the Knees until the Ledges had been offered up. Not all notches lined up, and so had to opened up so a parallel fit could be achieved.
 
The Upper Deck came together really quickly which was a surprise, it looked daunting to me and I really wasn't looking forward to this part of the build,  I think it's a reasonable finish, after sanding it was given 2 coats of WOP.
 
Next up was the Mortar Pit, its quite a snug fit so sanding will have to be gentle with a fine paper, it's now glued up with the rings attached to the inside, when the glue has set sanding will be done and WOP applied.
 
Enough words, time for some pictures.
 
All the Beams are fitted including the Half Beams, these were a real pig to fit, just awkward.

 
Here's one of the Hanging Knees, these turned out to be a really good fit.

 
The first of the Lodging Knees fitted.

 
First set of Lodging Knees and Hanging Knees

Patrick,
 
Just looking at your models make me feel good. Could use a bit o' that today! Thanks mate

Jason,
 
Good to see you at it. Nice work, even if it's little to show for, it's progress. I see you broke out fresh anchor cables

Thanks for the input everyone. After cutting out a pattern from the plan sheet I came to the same conclusion that Jason did & re-shaped it to slope up more gradually from the last bulkhead so the planks will end up being shaped more like the last pic.
 
Didn't get much done today. Someone showed up unexpectedly & kept me from my much planned work day in the shipyard. I did get the gun ports painted in preparation for the next step.
 
 
 
 

you've really gone quite a ways since I last looked in!   love that tri level lower decking.....very nice color.   sheer deck framing looks great too......I'm really enjoying the direction your going on this one 

Hi everyone
 
Thanks for everyone's comments and Likes, all of which are greatly appreciated.
 
I had some real issues with the consistency of the Matt blue paint that I had originally used for the underwater half of the hull. For some reason, it just refused to flow nicely off the brush, leaving brush marks and otherwise marring the finish. I even thinned the paint, but it still looked like crap! So, reluctantly, I changed the colour to Matt red, which was much nicer to used and produced a much better finish.
 
I also reached a milestone by being able to fabricate the huge oval shaped cabin. It wasn't easy to build by a long shot, as, not only was it a completely curved structure, but it also had multiple rectangular windows in it. I proceeded carefully when building it and, although it may not look like much now, once it has the roof beams, planks and all the other fixtures and fittings on it, I reckon it'll look pretty spiffy!
 
Hope you enjoy the photos.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

I've been working to fix a major goof, which came about through ill-advised efforts to fix a minor goof. Apparently I would make a good politician. Unlike most politicians, my final fix has produced a better result than where I started. Perhaps this makes me unelectable.
 
You may recall that I had begun bending the stern stringers, as Bertrand has a rounded but squared-off stern. I had made individual forms for the stringers, assuming they would retain a reasonably similar shape after bending and I could install them one-by-one. Things looked like this, as in the last update:
 

Subsequently, I glued each stringer carefully in place, aligned with its mate along the inner hull. Unfortunately, I did not realize until all were in place, that their curves really didn't line up well. The stern had a clearly odd warp to it, and any attempt to fix it by attaching cross-braces didn't work.
 
So I conceived the brilliant idea of soaking the whole stern assembly, such that I could bend all these stringers back into place and clamp them in a consistent curve. At this point, I had removed the hull from its taped-down security on the build board. So I boiled a pan of water and propped the hull stern-first into it, with the water at a depth just below the first (last?) hull frame. 
 
This did not work. I had even rebuilt my forms to fit exactly on top of each hull stringers, but to no avail. The stringers did not re-bend well; rather they straightened out 90% of their original curve, while kinking badly when I attempted to re-bend them. Clamping did not work and I was in danger of damaging the hull itself. I played Sailor Scrabble with my vocabulary and took a break for a few days to think the problem over.
 
Here's the drastic but effective solution, which at first glance looks quite like the last one:

Yet in this case, I rebuilt the forms AGAIN to exactly match the pattern of the stringers, and recut the curve on my bandsaw with the whole thing assembled, to ensure the curve was consistent. In the meantime, I delicately cut out all the stern-most stringers back to where they'd been before, to allow grafting the new assembly on. This was painstaking work so as not to damage the lower frames. I made sure, after initial inattention, to stagger the scarf joints so the hull wouldn't have any weak points (I had done the whole hull this way, anyway, and somehow momentarily forgot this obvious point when cutting out the old stringers).
 
I soaked new stringers and bent them onto the frame with copious clamping, as seen above. When dry, I removed clamps from the curve (but not either end), and glued a series of frames along the stringers to ensure the assembly retained its proper geometry when removed from the forms. This was key to my success this time. When I did finally pop the whole thing off, it held its shape beautifully. I then, very carefully, cut all the stringers to match the scarf joints on the hull, and glued the whole thing in place, propping it up with scrap wood to ensure I got the curve and elevation I wanted:


Next I installed the rest of the upper longitudinal stringer (already in place from midships to bow), the first stage in shaping and holding the stern in place. Other supports will come soon. But now I have a proper stern with proper curvature. The price of all this was a few less than perfect joints between the stern and other stringers, as they inevitably didn't dry in exactly the right orientation. I don't think it'll be terribly visible in the finished model, and the overall result is much better.
 
Since the last update, I had also mostly finished framing up the bow. I did this by installing the upper stringer, clamped to the midships futtocks and bent to the proper curve, and glued to a brace on the stempost. Then it was a basic matter of cutting each individual futtock to fit and gluing it from frame to stringer. As far as I know, such boats eschewed curved frames for simplicity of construction:

 
Here's an overhead view of the mostly-completed hull framing, set next to the plans:

 
Next on the to-do list:
 
- Finish installing stringers along bottom and sides of hull.
- Finish installing futtocks at bow & stern.
- Cut & install lots of little angle braces along the turn of the bilge, everywhere I couldn't prefabricate a frame.
- Trim the futtocks to final length.
 
At that point the hull will be strong and easily handled, and I can begin interal framing and/or planking. I'm very relieved to have fixed and improved the stern assembly, and looking forward to handling a completed hull. If only real crises could be solved with knives, profanity, and glue (actually, maybe we've tried the first two enough already).
 

Saturday, May 30, 2015
 
Honestly I expected some reactions/comments to the subject I introduced in the previous messages regarding the appearance of copper plating. . . but probably I was wrong.
 
Patience.
 
Meanwhile I finished the activities that were ongoing, including the installation of the gunwales. Now I think I must invent alternative tasks to perform while I'm preparing for the application of the copper. YES, because I decided to proceed in this direction. It's challenging !! I still have to procure the needed materials: I haven't a clear solution so I decided to buy tapes and sheets, self-adhesive and raw, of various thicknesses to do some comparative tests, then I will choose the solution that will give me the better satisfaction.
 
While waiting I could start something that will be useful for the future, such as ship boats or some superstructures, I need to think about it. Besides, I should definitely level with sandpaper and finish the hull, also preparing the surface of the quickwork that will receive the copper.
 
01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100282_zpsqkbwiaiy.jpg

02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100280_zpspvzt80my.jpg

03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100279_zps5zl9uvgm.jpg

04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100277_zpsdftzvkhe.jpg

05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100274_zpsotprofr3.jpg

Further images from different viewpoints will follow . . cheers, Jack.

thanks Augie,  Mark, and George.  I'm finding it quite a challenge to enhance this kit.  with all challenges,  there is a solution.   I will try    thank you!
 
thanks Sam......Have you ever had a kit where the plastic seemed soft.....or peel off in layers when you tried to shape the parts?  raw styrene is actually tough to bend......breaks before you can get any kind of bend in it.  any addition to the mix will cause it to lose it's brittleness and become more flexible.  for this kit,  there are probably 6 to 8 molds to make all the sprue panels.  I'm sure that the planning for the sprues is done by computer.....logic has nothing to do with it.
    in the instance of wood kits,  looking at the arrangement of the parts panels in the instructions........but the actual parts panels have a different arrangement.  I have seen this with Billing's kits.  all I can say is........at least I have the parts
 
thank you Ben.......I have not seen that picture.   before I even got this kit,  I watched just about every you tube vid on the Titanic and her sinking.  that is my question.....comes through the hawse holes.....runs back along the guides,  to the capstans.......but where does it go from there?  I'll show you what I have to work with.....very sad.
     the chain supplied in the kit is two plastic parts,  about an inch or so long....
 

 
I have the two outer capstans in place at the moment.....there are two smaller ones that will sit on those square platforms that the guides lead up to.
 

 
if those capstans were in place,  the chain would wrap around it from the inside,  and out towards the bow again.  I
wonder if there was a sort of chain gate that they  went into,  leading below the foredeck
 

 
we happen to have the movie.......I can't believe you said that Nenad.........ignore all that gooey,  kissy face stuff!  why...... it's the spice!          there has been some debate though about how the ship was 'on set'.....mostly concerning color, believe it or not!   even historians and experts have been baffled as to what the correct colors were...."White Star Buff"  is the most controversial color.  I appreciate the help Ben....if you do come across some pictures,  I'd love to see them.
 
as for you Nenad........I have Monday and the rest of the week off,  this coming week.  we'll set our watches,  make some popcorn.......and watch the movie together.  first one that cries........buys lunch!    is that a deal?   
 
I didn't get anything done today.....got tied up with 'home work'.   I'm going to go review some you tube vids.   I'll have an update soon.  thanks for the kind words and to those who  looked in 
 
 
 

Thank you Mark,
 
I think, I have convinced the captain, the only question is wich color. I'm for a darker green, but we have some time left for this.
 
To speak about building in a small scale, yesterday I repaired the chain for a pocket watch from the 1720th. 
 

 

 

 
I build a new hock and riveted it to the chain. The rivet is 0,2 mm in diameter!
 
Regards,
Siggi
 
 

Hello again,
 
I think I upload some pictures in a higher resolution. The captain is really spendable this evening. 
 

 

 
At the balcony you could see the color the captain wants for his cabin! We are in a hard discussion if there should be a second color in the paneling. It's because of the extra money he has to pay. 
 

 
Cheers,
Siggi
 

Hello,
 
now it is done, the upper gun deck is ready! That was a lot of work and research and not always easy.
 
I will not write much, because of my english, but I think the pictures say all.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Regards,
Siggi

Not much of an update, but have not been totally slacking!
 
The deck beams have all been installed, as well as the covering board.  With additional helpers here, we have done some preliminary work on the building slip (the 2 young ones, 8 & 10, think it is fun to be able to spread glue and sprinkle cleaned beach sand for the base).
 

 
Next step is to start planking the hull (and adding details to the building slip).
 
 

Hi everyone!
Many thanks you for your words of encouragement and Likes!
 
Here are the some photos of the next update
 
 
Best Regards!
Igor.

Hi everyone
 
Many, many thanks for all of your comments and feedback! I'm also struck by Vaddoc, Mike and Carl's comments because, I feel the same way about looking at their's and everyone else's models on MSW, somehow, the crap and stress of work just melts away.
 
Mark, Pete, David, Bob, Nils, Ben, Marty, a special thanks to all of you guys as well, because, your input spurs my motivation and enjoyment of building.
 
All the best for the week!
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

For those who have not had the pleasure of seeing O19 up close and personal, let me say, you have missed something extremely rare in life.... and I am not speaking so much of the amazing model we have seen come together before our eyes right here on MSW. 
 
The man who crafted this extreme labor of love is a true marvel of a very special class by himself. 
Within minutes after shaking his hand, one realizes this diminutive gentleman, so full of live, is the embodiment of what our unique art represents. 
Mr. Piet...."Pete".... is the real deal! 

I had the honour and the pleasure to see Piet's model in real life. All the pictures on MSW don't do her justice, she is stunning. The hull looks very realistic from all angles and the texture matches the steel plates the original was made from. All the details actually work, Piet had me try them out all. From hoisting the anker, the torpedo deck launcher is out of this world, the AA guns that can lower into the bins, the pulley's, even the break on the pulley works, etc etc. The colours are vivid and really do the model just. 
 
Piet if you still wonder if your Dad is proud of the model you made of the ship he loved most? He should!
 
My wife also had the pleasure of meeting the builder and his charming wife, we enjoyed every single minute of it. 
 
Remco

Very nice work Grant, way out of my league but you make it look easy.

Keel
 
The Keel assembly consists of 6 parts - the Keel itself, the Stem, the Apron, the Sternpost, the Sternpost Knee and the Transom.
 
A rabbet is cut in the length of the keel. I used an Xacto knife and a straight-edge to cut this. The Xacto was also used to cut the rabbets into the stem. I managed to cut both of them without actually breaking either off-cut (just to see if I could ) :
 

 
The Apron is 2" scale inches wider than the stem. This was cut with the scroll saw :
 

 
The Sternpost is also rabbeted, and the cutout for the rudder pintle and strap have been cut in :
 

 
The keel assembly :
 

 
After some minor cleaning up the Transom is glued on :
 

 
I found a problem with the length of the plug and the plans - the plug is 5mm too long! I had to adjust the length of the keel to suit. This is now a 18'9" cutter instead of 18' .
 
 Danny

Jesse, a great question to which I also devoted a lot of time and energy on my 'Jason', but could never prove definitively.  Looking at a variety of pictures as best I could, I came to the conclusion that there should be a smooth inflection at the transition from the planking of the hull to the lower counter on the 'faster' single decked ships - I'd lean more to the angle in the last picture than the first.  The more vertical transition in your first picture seems to be more appropriate for ships of the line.  Just my opinion from looking at lots of pictures and having to work through the same problem...I could be completely wrong!

This area is a little tricky Jesse.  Those planks that rise up to meet the counter both bend and twist at the same time.  If you follow Chuck's method, you'll be laying the wales and several planks below the wales before you get there.  Once you do, the shape of the wales will guide you somewhat.  And you may need some stealers.
 
The good news is that your fairing looks good.  If you look closely at my log, you'll see a slight bump in the area where the planks pass the last bulkhead.  I was able to correct it later with sanding but only because of the copper and black paint on the hull.  Looks like you won't have that problem.
 
Take your time here my friend.

Thanks for the link. From those pics & the plan sheet it looks like maybe the curve up should start just past the bulkhead a little more instead of farther up where mine starts at now? Maybe not? I'm having a hard time seeing the same thing on a flat sheet of paper & on the 3D wood hull in a spot like this. Going to try to copy the outline from the plan & cut out a pattern I can hold closer to the hull to see if I can eyeball it better that way.
 

Patrick,
 
Just looking at your models make me feel good. Could use a bit o' that today! Thanks mate

Patrick,
 
Just looking at your models make me feel good. Could use a bit o' that today! Thanks mate

Could not have said it any better myself.
 
Michael