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realworkingsailor

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Everything posted by realworkingsailor

  1. realworkingsailor
    If you're going with a power drill, yes a brad point is the way to go. I did all mine by hand, so I used ordinary drill bits, but I start small and work my way up to the size I want. A final touch up with a round file and voila..... Port holes. Andy
  2. realworkingsailor
    She's going to be part of a scene on a model railway club layout. (I'm a part of the club BTW). The scene will be a representation of the Stelco steel mill in Hamilton, Ontario, which received a large part of their raw materials via lake boat. And all my fingers too First off, I wanted to model a ship from the company I work for (proudly celebrating the 100th anniversary of its formation this year). Secondly, I had to find a ship that was proportionately similar. In this case, the major dimensions scale out to roughly 70% of the prototype, so she's slightly selectively compressed, but believeable. Thirdly, for some sadistic reason, I've wanted to build this kit up as a self-unloader.And finally she had to be operating through different eras. On the club layout, the goal is to be able to depict the changing railway scene in southern Ontario from the 50s to the 90s, and although my ship was not always a self unloader (converted in 1958/59), or was owned by CSL (sold in the mid/late 60s), she did last until 1983. Hope that answers your question(s) Andy
  3. realworkingsailor
    Thanks Popeye, I'll have further updates tomorrow on my progress. I've since started work on the "eye brow" over the windows as well as a removable (for the time being) top for it as well. Andy
  4. realworkingsailor
    Carrying on.... Spent a lot of time yesterday cutting out windows.... a tedious task, pretty much on par with tying ratlines... but with the added risk of turning fingers (or the styrene sheet) to hamburger. A word of advice.... always use a fresh sharp blade, it won't hang up as much in the plastic, decreasing the ammount of force needed to make the cuts. And always make a cut in several light passes, don't try and cut through on the first pass..... So... the windows... yes... an important feature of the pilot house, whose sides I have now completed. I made most of them from 0.030" sheet, but the forward curved part I opted to use 0.020" sheet. A little thinner to help make the curve a little easier. A few more finishing touches and it will be ready to paint. I won't be putting the top on just yet. I have to finish the interior after painting... and add window glazing. For now it will have to sit as a hollow shell. Also got some 0.040" round stock to cap off the Texas Deck (Yes, that's what it's really called) bulwark. I know right now it seems I'm repetitively posting various shades of the colour white, but believe me, a ship is emerging slowly from all of that. When the time comes to paint, it will make a startling difference. Andy
  5. realworkingsailor
    Having worked one season on a forward end job.... We walked back for meals. Rest assured, however, that most of these ships were fitted with side tunnels just below the main deck so you could make your way aft safely in any weather. Andy
  6. realworkingsailor
    Hi Matti, Everyone tells me to be careful with resin, but from my research, it seems to have an effect only if you are already allergic to it (just like CA glue). Look under "health and safety": http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane Andy
  7. realworkingsailor
    Sjors, the way this kit was designed, in three major sections (fore, midship, and aft) it allows the builder to customize the length if desired, since Sylvan supplies extra sections for just that purpose. Andy
  8. realworkingsailor
    If you can, mild dish soap and water, well rinsed off afterwards. Otherwise, Windex should also work well. Are you looking to cover the old paint, or remove it? Andy
  9. realworkingsailor
    Do a google image search for "steam blowdown muffler" Might give you some inspiration. Andy
  10. realworkingsailor
    A slow-ish day in the yard. Got a few things done though... Installed the hawse pipes. One of those things that will never be seen, but nice to know they're there! Also some more work on the foreward house. Added some frames to the upper bulwarks. I still need to cap the bulwark with some round stock. I was on the fence about modifying the kit supplied pilot house, or going it on my own. I opted once again for the latter option. As built, the Stadacona had a typical Lakes style semi-circular design. In order to improve rear-ward visibility, after her conversion to a self unloader, enclosed wings were added. You will also note that the house was also raised up from the deck about 3 feet or so, this was not a modification from her conversion, but rather, she was built in this manner. I'm not entirely sure on the reasons why this was done, but the practice of raised pilot houses persisted until the begining of all-houses-aft lakers in the 1970s. Andy
  11. realworkingsailor
    Excellent! She's a great build, I hope you enjoy it! Andy
  12. realworkingsailor
    Oh.... This looks interesting! Can't wait to see that home made working engine! Andy
  13. realworkingsailor
    What about model railroad figures? There might be something in O scale (1:48) from Preiser or Faller Andy
  14. realworkingsailor
    Made it home this evening..... Back to the shipyard tomorrow......
  15. realworkingsailor
    Sjors: She's a very traditional laker. The forward house has the wheelhouse (pilot house) on top, the captain's and officer's quarters just below and the deck crew's quarters just below that. The after house has the engineer's quarters, the galley (and galley staff quarters) and, of course, the engine room. Hope that helps Andy
  16. realworkingsailor
    Sjors, to chafe means to cause damage by rubbing against something. Andy
  17. realworkingsailor
    From what I've read, the shrouds are served down to the level of the hounds (basically the level of the futtock staves). Also the leading shroud should be served its full length to prevent chaffing from the sails. Andy
  18. realworkingsailor
    Well... I admit, I didn't quite stick to the plan as I had laid out earlier. I did get one section of the hull added on.... but....that large-ish hole in the fo'c'sle deck kept calling to me and I couldn't ignore it any longer. Starting yesterday I've been busy building a new forward house from sctatch. All styrene, of course. It's what you would call a "selectively compressed" version of the real thing. Taking the key elements, such as the shape and general arrangement, some compromise (reduce the number of portholes and doors), and you get something believeable, that anyone who knows the real ship, would recognize. Admitedly there should be a tad more curve in the front of the house, but I'm happy with what I've got. There's still a lot more to do... like the sub-deck framing, the upper bulwark framing, doors and other odds and ends, and eventually the pilot house. The large square holes in the aft end are ladderways. I figured them out when I took a good look at the second prototype photo I posted. I noticed a jumble of railings just inside the aft corner that could only come from a ladderway. You can see the difference when you compare the kit supplied version. There is fundamentally nothing wrong with it.... it's just not really proportionally correct for this build. I'll be away for a couple days, I have to take a ship up the river and I fly to Montreal late tonight. I should be back late Monday, early Tuesday. Andy
  19. realworkingsailor
    Gee..... That serving machine looks awful familiar......
  20. realworkingsailor
    And no warping either! These guys: http://www.imaginethatlaserart.com/ , make a full line of laser cut architectural and railway models out of mdf. Amazingly well done. Andy
  21. realworkingsailor
    Very nice. But then again.... You should have some practice with that sort of thing by now Andy
  22. realworkingsailor
    Very well done Congratulations on completing her. Good Luck on you other unfinished ship(s). Andy
  23. realworkingsailor
    Glad you guys are getting something out of all this. What's nice, at select places there are great viewing platforms and interpretive centres that allow people to get up close with the history of the region, and the ships that still ply these waters. Andy
  24. realworkingsailor
    I do enjoy working with styrene plastic. There is such a nice variety of structural and dimensional shapes on the market, if you can imagine it, you can build it. The fun part comes when grafting styrene to polyurethane resin... CA can really test your patience at times (the infamous "why the heck are my fingers stuck yet part "a" has not bonded to part "b"?!?!? Ratzafratz!!!" statement springs to mind ) Andy
  25. realworkingsailor
    It may seem strange, but at one time the vessels plying the inland Great Lakes were some of the largest in the world. Even in the mid 20th century, most ocean going freighters settled comfortable around the 500 foot mark, lakers were already into the 700 foot range. Thanks to the opening of the 4th Welland Canal in 1932, ships of up to 730 feet could make the transit down from the upper lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie) to Lake Ontario. At that time, the largest ocean going vessel that could reach the lakes was limited by the locks and canals of the pre-modern seaway. Smaller vessles, known as canallers, would tranship from lakes ports to ports on the lower St. Lawrence river. They were limited to a mere 261 feet long by 40 feet wide and a maximum draft of around 8 or 9 feet. These were small ships, but there were LOTS of them. In 1959 the current Seaway was opened. This allowed passage of the largest lake vessels (at that time) to the lower river, it also reduced the total number of locks from 28 to 7, between Montreal and Lake Ontario. The old time canaller sailors used to joke, that they would litterally walk from Cornwall to Montreal. This also meant the end of "Canal" sized vessels, as they were no longer efficient in the face of the larger vessels. Aside from specialty ships (cement carriers or package freighters), most canalers were gone by the end of the 1960s. The last unaltered canaller currently sits at Industrial Marine and Salvage in Port Colborne Ontario. The crane ship "D.C. Everest" (1953) was last used as a barge. She now sits awaiting her eventual fate. Another small update. Have completed the fo'c'sle bulwarks. Made of styrene sheet and strip. Each frame, and the bulwark was made from 0.030" styrene. The flanges and cap rail are all 0.015" x 0.080" styrene strip. I used the moulded on rivets on the hull as a reference for spacing the frames correctly. It will need a little touch up with filler along the bottome outside edge to fill any remaining small gaps and inconsistencies. But otherwise, I'm pleased with the result. Now it's time to get serious tackling the stern and mid sections and get that hull put together. Andy

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