Mirabell61

Many thanks Mike,

exactly, these lightships have an own attract, I wanted to build the Elbe 1 since several years and always thought that it would be too ambitious for my capability, so now I`m going for it, inspired by the beautiful model built by Helmut Thomas, in scale 1:50, which brought the kick-off (see my introduction posting) allthough his project went over 4 years with many trials, ups and downs .....

My chosen scale 1:87 is smaller because the size of the neccessary display glass case for it  afterwards.

Nils

thank you very much Michel,

Nils

Update

the first 7 planks (stb side ) as well as the build in of the bilge keel on that side are on, and the light-tower is further in process, the "glassing" still has to be shortend a bit.

I`ll continue with the port side planking to this degree, before moving to both bottom sides.

The bilge keel cuved flats are cut from 1,5 mm aluminium flatmaterial with an electric jig saw and glued in with CA, interlocking appr. 2,5 mm depth into the frame contour as well.

So far I`m pleased with the planking process, I think the hull will require a bit of "scratch-shaving" the surface instead of only sanding it afterwards, relating to the rather thin single layer planking.

Nils

a combination of 8mm and 10mm wide planks, all 1,5mm thick. The prior placed stringers are very helpfull for clamping the planks during assembly, and for keeping the hull-skin to true form.

the tower and the top cover are made from brass, the platform will have a ballustrade with wire-mesh. I intend to build the main light lenses from a glass honey-dip spoon.

excellent work Vaddoc,

also the inboard planking looks great

Nils

The hull is beautifully modeled

Nils

Thank you very much John,

I`ll make a sigh of relief, if the planking works out well later on

Nils

Update

slow but steady, all stringers are on, I received the prop, and the "glassing" of the light-tower is fitted in to the top cover. One side of the hull has been sanded flush with the frame-contours.

Nils

the upper stern rounding will be vertically planked

the 4-blade brass propeller

the glassing per plexiglass tube fitted in to the top cover

all stringers on today

Update

have just received the wooden liners for the stringers and for planking. Also the plexiglass tube material for the light area on the mid mast has arrived. The the top cover for the light tower I made from brass sheet.

Nils

The planks are 1,5 x 8 and 1,5 x 10 mm, The stringers are 2 x3 mm

this will later on be the light on the lighttower, the cover I cut from brass sheet

beginning with the portside stringers. all frame top-sides have been glued to the lugs of the base board. before planking the frame edges will be carefully sanded flush with the hull outer contour

many thanks Sascha,

sure, I`ll try to keep up with the detailed reporting. I also love to read and see detailed process of fellow builders projects, I think that is a splended and appreciated feature of this MSW forum.

Nils

lovely work Keith,

she`s getting along very nice

Nils

Many thanks Keith and Michel,

Keith,

this was the easy and many times approved part of the early hull making ...

Michel,

now starts the part where I have to add balsa blocks or so, for doing the stern-roundings. Also some of the slots for the stringers have to be tuned for better and more accurate alignment.

Nils

Update

All frames cut out and (dry-fit) mounted with keel bow and stern parts. Nothing is glued together yet.

The stringer liners and the pine-planks can be ordered now. For planking I intend to do it with 1,5x8 and 1,5x10 mm planks. The stringers will be 2x3mm

Nils

frames kept down to the base board with clamps. Note the reinforcement squarebar 13x13mm, this gives a strong hold

all 16 frames set up

Very nice progress Valeriy,

Nils

Update

Today it starts with sawdust making.

The base construction plate was used fro the "Ergenstrasse", sanded over and fitted with frame-spaced little squarebar pieces that were glued on in place.

The keel with bow and sternpost ist cut out and glued together, also the reinforcement 13x13 mm squarebar with pushed in counter-nuts. ( for take up of the stand spindle later on ) is made and ready for assembly.

The "raw frames" are cut out from the 4mm ply sheet in order to have  more handable "tiles". Then holes were dilled, in to the outcut spaces of every frame.

Now the 16 single frame contours are carefully cut out, tile by tile in the good old hand jigsaw manner. I can imagine that those who are assemling kits comprizing laser cut frames are smiling here, but this is scratch-build

Nils

the shipyard build base with spacer lugs. This one is from former "Ergenstrasse"build, sanded over and equipped with new distance lugs. the frame spaces are taken from the sideview lines / frame plan

the reinforcement squarebar with pressed in counter-nuts

the lines for stringers were added on the frame plan

frame-outlines on transparent paper, with drawn in notches for the stringers later on

here the keel with glued on bow and stern. The cut outs take up the frames during assembly

rough cut 16  "tiles" for better handling

Thanks Greg for your explaining words,

now its understood ....

Nils

On 2/22/2024 at 1:06 AM, Greg Davis said:

I have all of the hoop material for the main pontoon laid up on the formers. Three ply's for each. They were not too difficult to set up until the diameter dropped below 0.5" - the smallest one 0.30" was not fun.

I'll part off 3mm hoops on my lathe. Most I only need to cut one from but there are two pairs of hoops #4 & #7 and #5 & #6 that have the same diameter. For those I laid up wider strips of wood so that I can part two off each.

 

Still thinking about an assembly jig. This is what I am currently thinking of making:

There would be a 16 pieces of 1/8" hardboard cut to the above shape - one for each hoop. Each riser would be be made with the center of each hoop at the same height. The semi-circular cut out for each hoop's out diameter would top out 1.5mm lower than center to accommodate the 3mm side stringers. A notch would be cut at the bottom to accept the bottom (or top) stringer. To help keep the hoops stabilized thru the stringer installation, I will slice off a 3mm disk from each form to sit inside each hoop. This way I can press down / clamp the stringers without fear of breaking a hoop. A couple of tabs on each riser should keep the hoops / discs vertical.

 

An alternative would be to cut a more standard comb jig and keel support like those used for typical scratch built framed ships. For some (unknown) reason I'm more worried about getting all the necessary alignments to get the symmetrical / linear cigar shape.

 

Input certainly accepted!

 

 

 

An very interesting model Greg,

did this hyroplane ever lift off?

Nils

Thank you Gary,

right, it did`nt take long to make up my mind what would be next, because the build of this lightship model is one of my favorites, and as always there will be many details to be carried out along the way.

Nils

Thank you Hermann,

It shall be great when you start that project.

Your offer for possible support is very much appreciated very kind of you and I may come back to it when my own build is further on, and I get to details

Nils

first update

I got started with the standplate (without staining yet) and the pedestals.

Probably the base mounting plate for fixing the framing is next. Allthough there is no hull yet, There are fist evaluations for the later metal plating.

As usual for my builds I intend to fix a "backbone" 13 mm beechwood square-liner, (also counterhold for the press-in-nuts for the pedestal spindels) just above the keel, to provide a strong and sturdy setup, as well as stringers appr. 5 per side lengthwise

The later has proven to ease the planking afterwards, and to keep the hull in shape, because there will be only one planking layer

Nils

this is basic for lofting the 16 frames

starting with the base plate

raw baseplate and pedestals done. Fastening with spindles and press in counter-nuts within the hull

made a dummy plating arrangement in order to see if the single plates 15 x 50mm will be OK. Rivets in 2 row lines

I think it looks OK with the stagered arrangement. The horizontal line 1,2,3 are put on first with gaps inbetween and then lines 3 and 4 are added by overlapping at the gap. The lines 3 and 4 act like a belt

I know that some fellow model builders will comment the "too large" and dominant rivet heads, but these will be at least 50% covered by metal contact agent, the primer- and the final paint coating

Thank you very much Hermann,

yes I know that and also saw that it is quite expensive, about twice the cost of the first issue many years ago. Helmut Thomas is taking reference to exactly that plan in his publication (but only 2 plan pages instead of 6) shown there, but many pictures in color and a build log as well). I scaled down the drawings I have to 1:87 instead of 1:50

Without the original plan it will not be easy to build the mid-lightmast and its lenses as well as the foremast and its many signal details. I`ll try to do these from pictures I have, and am still gathering information on those. Perhaps at some degree of building I may regret not to have bought the plan as you have. Are you still intending to build her, or is it she in progress by you already ?

Nils

Thank you very much MIchel

Nils

Thank you Yves,

I`ll do the best I can get out of it ....

Nils

Many thanks to Keith, Ken, Andy, John and Denis,

and keep tuned .... 

Keith,

yes, I found it interesting as well, as I remembered that there was also a very nice description with pics, plan and build-log in my possesion already, and ready to be kissed awake.

Ken,

I am pleased you like it and that you shall be following along

Andy,

well actualy, no, I only swaped a place for my Bohuslän, which is now in my attic office, and the Ergenstrasse took it`s place in my hobby office instead. The lightship, when done, has no final mooring place yet.

John,

Most of the German lightships have this clipper bow. Maybe thats the reason that quite few, when taken out of service, have been converted to 3-mast barque sailing vessels  ( like the "Alexander von Humbold 1,"  well known threemast-barque, with the green sails)

Denis,

I only know that there must have been a Billing Boat Elbe 1 lightship kit as well as the fabulous fittings-kit thereto, and very long ago.  One must be a  lucky guy to find  an unbuilt kit like that somewhere .  I found some information for that on U-tube channelI.  My drawings are from the 80 page  "Modelwerft, special" eddition 1994/1, like described in my log intoduction. By the way, I have`nt heard from you for a long time, thanks for looking in again, its good to hear from you.

Nils

Thank you Veszett,

yes, probably Mike Maynard

Nils

40 minutes ago, Javelin said:

Since I love colourful ships, you can count me in. Never really seen a model of a lightship being constructed from scratch, should be interesting! 

Thanks Roel,

for looking in and stay tuned...

Nils