Mirabell61

beautiful work Grant,
 
Nils

Good morning Denis,
 
I saw that you took quite an extensive look into the build when catching up, and thanks for all the likes. After putting on the Stern decoration I`ll make a break though, so that my HMS Pegasus may be completed first. Stern name and depth-markings are on, but the golden colored decorations and the home-port`s name (Bremen) are still to be fitted, here some impressions of the "dry-dock" views....  I`m so pleased with the experience with the borderline (Black / red) painting, after Dirk`s suggestion, and in combination with masking, that I can only recommend this further on to fellow modelers 
 
Nils
 

 
depth markings
 
 

 
 

 
relation, figurine in scale 1:144
 
 

 
aft name in 3mm high etched brass letters
 
 

thank you very much Martin,
 
yes, it was quite a swift ride to date...., on 26th Nov. it will be 6 months since project start, and in the beginning I thought it certainly would have taken longer to achieve this stage. But now I have to (scale) draw and design every detail, such as superstructure, decks, platforms, boats, railings, vent-hoods, and... and...... so the "home stretch run" is by far not in sight yet.
Here on a borrowed pic from the web, it shows the card version of the KWdG in scale  1:250, where you can see that even the fore-mast bears shrouds with ratlines, and there are many stays and backstays for funnels, etc...For the lifeboats and for the vent hoods I have a good solution in mind already....
I think I`ll do the stern decoration and then make a pause on this project and complete my HMS Pegasus first
 
Nils
 

Good morning Denis,
 
I saw that you took quite an extensive look into the build when catching up, and thanks for all the likes. After putting on the Stern decoration I`ll make a break though, so that my HMS Pegasus may be completed first. Stern name and depth-markings are on, but the golden colored decorations and the home-port`s name (Bremen) are still to be fitted, here some impressions of the "dry-dock" views....  I`m so pleased with the experience with the borderline (Black / red) painting, after Dirk`s suggestion, and in combination with masking, that I can only recommend this further on to fellow modelers 
 
Nils
 

 
depth markings
 
 

 
 

 
relation, figurine in scale 1:144
 
 

 
aft name in 3mm high etched brass letters
 
 

beautiful work Grant,
 
Nils

Good morning Denis,
 
I saw that you took quite an extensive look into the build when catching up, and thanks for all the likes. After putting on the Stern decoration I`ll make a break though, so that my HMS Pegasus may be completed first. Stern name and depth-markings are on, but the golden colored decorations and the home-port`s name (Bremen) are still to be fitted, here some impressions of the "dry-dock" views....  I`m so pleased with the experience with the borderline (Black / red) painting, after Dirk`s suggestion, and in combination with masking, that I can only recommend this further on to fellow modelers 
 
Nils
 

 
depth markings
 
 

 
 

 
relation, figurine in scale 1:144
 
 

 
aft name in 3mm high etched brass letters
 
 

Good morning Denis,
 
I saw that you took quite an extensive look into the build when catching up, and thanks for all the likes. After putting on the Stern decoration I`ll make a break though, so that my HMS Pegasus may be completed first. Stern name and depth-markings are on, but the golden colored decorations and the home-port`s name (Bremen) are still to be fitted, here some impressions of the "dry-dock" views....  I`m so pleased with the experience with the borderline (Black / red) painting, after Dirk`s suggestion, and in combination with masking, that I can only recommend this further on to fellow modelers 
 
Nils
 

 
depth markings
 
 

 
 

 
relation, figurine in scale 1:144
 
 

 
aft name in 3mm high etched brass letters
 
 

Beautifully done Grant .
 
  Danny

Mortar Barrel continued....
 
Once the barrel had been bored, it was time to part off the workpiece to its final length and shape the base end.  A mandrel was then turned down from some aluminium bar stock, so that it was an easy slide fit in to the barrel, and this was then drilled with a 3/32” end mill, using the same set-up on the Mill as previously.  The mandrel was then placed inside the barrel and a securing pin of 3/32” brass rod was inserted to hold the mandrel securely in place. The pin was a tight push fit, which made the whole assembly quite secure.
 

 
Now it was time to break out the “secret weapon”.  The base of the Mortar Barrel is a hemisphere in shape.  I’d been pondering how to achieve this, when I discovered that Sherline make a “Radius Turning Attachment” for exactly this purpose.  Happy days – a solution to my quandary AND a new accessory!     
 
Here is a picture of the setup, showing the mortar barrel being held in a 3-jaw self-centring chuck by the temporary mandrel.  The radius turning tool is mounted on the cross slide and is quick and easy to set-up and to use.  In this picture, I’ve already started to shape the end, having taken the first couple of passes with the tool.
 

 
A few minutes later and voilà, a perfect hemisphere:
 

 
Prior to commencing to use the radius turning tool, I had used a small centre drill to mark the centre of the end of the base.  Once the radius had been turned, a 3/16” end mill was inserted in the tailstock, and a hole drilled to a depth of 5/16” – the reason will become clear shortly.
 
With this hole drilled, the workpiece was again moved across, with the chuck, onto the rotary table on the Mill, this time mounted in the horizontal position.  The 3/16” end mill was transferred to the Mill and the previously bored hole was used to index the mill table into alignment. The pin in the mandrel was used as a guide to align the barrel such that a slot could now be cut at 90-degrees to the pin. In the following picture, the slot has already been cut to the depth of the previously bored hole (ie 5/16”).
 

 
The base of the mortar barrel is an interesting configuration, and includes the trunnion bar that also blends into the mortar barrel body.  I elected to make this in two pieces, both from 3/16” square stock. The first piece would carry a trapezoid shape to blend into the barrel body, while the second piece would have its end turned into a cylindrical shape to form the trunnions.  Sounds complex, but was really quite easy.  A piece of 1/4" square stock was first re-sized to 3/16” square using the Brynes disc sander. The trapezoid shape was also achieved using the disc sander, while the trunnion bar was simply turned down on each end in the lathe.  Here is a picture of the components prior to assembly:
 

 
The pieces were then assembled and the mandrel and locating pin removed. The hole from the locating pin was filled by a mixture of PVA glue and some of those ebony shavings saved from the first part of the process.  Two handles were made by bending a piece of 1/32” brass wire, chemically blackened and epoxied in place.  Here is the final product prior to receiving a coat of Wipe-On Poly:
 

 
 
And here it is with a “test” fit to the Turntable:
 

 
The completed assembly was given a coat of Wipe-On Poly, and then posed in the firing position for a few final photos (the poly is not yet dry here, hence the slight sheen):
 

 

 
 

 
All in all, I’m well pleased with the way this turned out.  Time spent up front measuring and working out the workflow process was well invested, as was the money spent on the radius turning attachment.  Amazingly, there were no re-dos in the entire process!     Next up – the 4-pounder guns and carriages. 

Deservedly so, mate !!!!!

Thanks guys.
 
Augie - the timber on the gun carriages will be left natural (other than a coat of wipe-on poly, which will darken it a little), in keeping with the rest of the build philosophy of "painting with timber".

Thanks again for all the kind comments and the "likes". I can't believe it has been almost six weeks since I last posted some progress!  I finally managed to get some time in the shipyard on Sunday - but only a little, so this will be only a minor update.  As an aside, when I tried to post this update on Sunday, I ran into the "Sucuri" issue that many have experienced previously.  A quick PM to Jim Hatch with my IP address and he fixed it in no time - thanks Jim  
 
Mortar Cap Squares
 
The Mortar Cap Squares were made from strips of 0.01” thick brass sheet. The sheet was attached to a carrier of scrap timber using double sided tape and then cut, with the brass facing down, on the Byrnes saw to the desired width – in this case 3/32”. One end of each strip was then bent around a 1/32” thick brass rod to form the hinge end. The middle was then formed around a 5/32” rod to fit around the trunnion, and then finessed into final shape in situ. A 0.8mm hole was then drilled to take the retaining eyebolt. The retaining eyebolt was shaped by squeezing a regular eyebolt into a sort of triangular shape, and then flattening with a hammer.  Finally, a short section of 1/32” brass tubing was cut to insert into the hinge end, to represent the inner part of the hinge.  Here is a shot of the component parts before blackening and final assembly.
 

 
All parts were then cleaned using a wire brush in a rotary tool, soaked in vinegar and then blackened with Birchwood Casey Brass Black prior to installing.  Here is the completed Mortar assembly:
 

 

 
4lb Gun Carriages
 
The carriages for the 4lb guns are made from Redheart.  Two guns will be displayed on the model, and a further two may be incorporated into the display stand.  Therefore, a total of four gun carriages will be made. The sides of the carriages are made from one piece each and are a fairly straight forward operation.  A set of ten blanks (allowing for two ‘spares’) were spot glued together to enable all sides to be cut in the same operation, to produce identical parts.  Once the gang was glued up, a pattern piece was applied using sticky label paper and the process of shaping was commenced. The ‘stepped’ sides and the dados for the axles were cut first using the Sherline mill.  Then curvature between the axles was incorporated by using the spindle sander. Finally, the groove for the trunnion bars was cut using a ball end cutter in the Proxxon drill press (only because I didn’t have a collet small enough to fit the ball end cutter in the mill.  The ends were then trimmed to length on the Byrnes disc sander and the completed part soaked in isopropyl alcohol to debond the spot-glue and separate the individual pieces.  After some final cleaning up, here’s what they look like:
 

 
That's as far as I managed to get on Sunday. Hopefully, next weekend I'll manage to finish the gun carriages and maybe even have a crack at turning the guns themselves.

Fotos :)
 
Nils

Good morning Denis,
 
I saw that you took quite an extensive look into the build when catching up, and thanks for all the likes. After putting on the Stern decoration I`ll make a break though, so that my HMS Pegasus may be completed first. Stern name and depth-markings are on, but the golden colored decorations and the home-port`s name (Bremen) are still to be fitted, here some impressions of the "dry-dock" views....  I`m so pleased with the experience with the borderline (Black / red) painting, after Dirk`s suggestion, and in combination with masking, that I can only recommend this further on to fellow modelers 
 
Nils
 

 
depth markings
 
 

 
 

 
relation, figurine in scale 1:144
 
 

 
aft name in 3mm high etched brass letters
 
 

Been awhile since my last Speedwell update. Work on the forecastle has finished, for the most part. Caulking is black paper. It's a bit more work but a little cleaner than when I use a pencil. The wrought iron belfry is unusual but present on the contemporary model. I twisted 1/32" square brass bar stock with one end in a stationary vice and the other end in a pin vice. Consistent upward pressure while twisting insures an even result.
 



 
 

thank you very much Martin,
 
yes, it was quite a swift ride to date...., on 26th Nov. it will be 6 months since project start, and in the beginning I thought it certainly would have taken longer to achieve this stage. But now I have to (scale) draw and design every detail, such as superstructure, decks, platforms, boats, railings, vent-hoods, and... and...... so the "home stretch run" is by far not in sight yet.
Here on a borrowed pic from the web, it shows the card version of the KWdG in scale  1:250, where you can see that even the fore-mast bears shrouds with ratlines, and there are many stays and backstays for funnels, etc...For the lifeboats and for the vent hoods I have a good solution in mind already....
I think I`ll do the stern decoration and then make a pause on this project and complete my HMS Pegasus first
 
Nils
 

update...
 
Build log part 26
 
all portholes (port side) are mounted into the drilled hull holes, the forecastle name is put on and the hull painting is under way (port side)
 
Nils
 
 

 
the letters are brass photo-etched
 
 

 
the stern decoration is not ready for mounting yet
 
 

 
 
 
next will be the borderline painting black / red, and then the starboard side will be pulled up likewise
 
 

 
the black color is completely dull, the red paint will be silk appeal when the paint is cured out

a little update.....
 
the first of the 458 hull`s portholes are put on, and before that the areas were painted...
These close ups  really don`nt hide anything
 
Nils
 
 

 
the most left one is the tube bushing for the aft anchor chain
 
 

 
the upper forecastle portholes between the rails
 
 

 
twenty of them on each side
The plugged off two porthole in the third line from the top were due to misaligned drilling
 
 

 
poop deck portholes
 
 

 
 

 
upper hull portholes on white background strip, under the promenade deck
 
 

Thank you very much Bob,
 
I`m trying to Keep the upper hull rails clean and in natural wood appeal whilst applying the black paint without messing, and with help of the Tamiya tape masking it really works very well...
 
Nils
 

Build log part 25
 
 
the portholes are not fitted yet, (to be mounted after final painting of hull), but the hull is drilled in the oppropriate places, and the upper two rows will have "eyebrows", to keep the porthole glasses clear
 
The unsymmerical tubing for the aft anchorchain is set and stb-side has the upper bow-decoration attached
 
Nils
 

 
I am satisfied with the dull black hull color
 
 

 
front bow decoration as shown / made in the last post
 
 

 
the number of portholes and positions are corresponding with the overview drawing
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Hi Dan,
 
your kind help with the 1:144 Preiser Figurines is very much appreciated. Thank you so much. I found these when I started my log (for dimension checks), unfortunatly these are all airline- ground crew- or passenger related, but it helps me to evaluate bulwark hights etc...
 
These are the ones I am currently using in scale 1:144   :
 

 
 
The following pics, borrowed from the web, show, from Preiser, unfortunately only available in scale 1:87 (HO scale) what I am after, if they were only in scale 1:144 ,... either painted or unpainted, to date my search was in vain though..., and Preiser has not answered my request yet
Figurines in turn of the century fashions.... Would love to scatter some of this type on my decks...
 
Nils
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

excellent Fitting on that Skylight Michael,
 
a wonderful model work of wooden and metal parts
 
Nils

The anchors,
 
found these good looking and scaled heavy metal anchors, in nostagic design of 1900 in a Hamburg based modeling web shob.
The parts are of castings and have to be deburred, the vertical bar and the hole in the spike-base have to be reworked a little larger, I`m glad I found them, love that nostalgic look with the long spikes.
Two will go at the bow, one at stern and two in the spare anchor supports on the forecastle deck
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

Hi Peter,
 
nice to hear from you, your last post was quite some time back, and thanks very much for dropping in, and for your nice comment I like....
I agree with your advice relating to the paint gloss, it somehow turned out quite bright on the appr. pic. (probably due to flashlight and fresh paint)
 
I am a little anxious to blend the color, as I probably would not be able to get / repeat the blending mixture, if I mix the color a bit lighter.
 
The black ought to be a dull black, no gloss at all, and the red is more a silk finish, when dry. For the black overwater hull section I have now found a suitable dull black oven paint. I am pleased with the black so far.
The little dummy here is the second trial, I have also added 3 dummy portholes, they turn out as I had intended, inserts flush wih the skin, and the "glassing" standing back a wee bit in the insert- tube. The inserts are from copper with galvanizesd tin surface and the ends that connect to the hull skin are tapered to the outside.
 
For taping and painting over the riveted skin areas, I shall be following Dirk`s reccomendation, when the Tamiya masking tape arrives
 
Nils
 

 
Dummy section for trial...
 
the black is nostalgic dull steel hull kook, the portholes (3 mm) are quite small in diameter, but doing them larger would be out of scale

little update..
 
- a look into the hull
- a trial for painting the hull
- the "riveting" of the bowpost
- "glassing" the porthhole inserts (procedure)
 
Nils
 
 
 
 

 
here a dive deep down into the ship`s belly
 

 
aft section with the two drive shafts coming to the inside
 
 

 
this is the tape I intend to use for taping the painting borderline (not pleased with it yet), will have to improve the technique. Also the black color should be more dull, will do next trial with dull black oven-paint. The critical part is to get a good tape contact over the rivet rows, so that the paint does`nt creep under the tape.
The red paint is RAL 3000, silk-surface glaze, when drying
 
 

 
 

 
bowpost "riveting" is done around the bend
 
 

 
Am quite pleased with the result....
 
 

 
here using trimming line for grass-cutter for the "glassing" of the portholes
 
 

 
Cutting off a length
 
 

 
ready for final trimming
 
 

 
cut off directly at the porthole insert. "Glass" surface will be sunk in appr. 0,6 mm afterwards into the tube