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Eurus

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Everything posted by Eurus

  1. Hello friends! I'll be on shore leave for some time, so no updates in the immediate future. I hope to be back at the shipyard next month. Meanwhile, no shipbuilding, but I can still participate in the forums. Cheers from Mexico! 🍹
  2. The next module is located aft of the mainmast, and it comprises two ship stairs, a skylight, the funnel and twin mushroom ventilators. Later it will also have a commemorative plaque, a clinometer and the ship’s bell. In picture 1 you can see the assembled module. Unfortunately, the dimensions are wrong, and it is too long. In order to keep things authentic, I had to cut it to reduce its size; however, this resulted in an unsightly patch on the deck, as can be seen in picture 2. ☹️ Picture 3 shows the mushroom ventilators for reference, and also the ugly patch on the deck planking. I plan to obscure it with some rope coils in the event that the dye and varnish do not manage to hide it. 😞 In picture 4 the module is treated with filler and sanded, and adjusted in place prior to gluing. I’m just checking everything fits together properly.
  3. We return now to the ship’s galley deckhouse block. As you can see in picture 1, the same problem we had with the wheelhouse has appeared here: the top piece does not match the dimensions of the block and some augmentations are required. Luckily, I have lots of scrap material. In picture 2 the galley is ready, augmented and sanded, and it definitely looks better. The corners have been rounded as well. I will need to drill more holes for the portholes in order to match the real ship to port and starboard, and fill the extra ones in the lower aft wall. A ceremonial anchor will be located here later. This area is important, since much of the sailors’ activity takes place here, including the official ceremonies. In picture 3 the planks are in place—I really don’t know what should I call this area. It is a continuation of the foredeck, aft of the foremast and above the ship’s galley. I have heard the term cubierta de trinquete (foremast deck) but I suspect it’s not correct. Is it an “upper deck”? In the past, the lifeboats used to be stored here, before switching to self-inflating rafts which are more compact. So, I guess no “lifeboat deck” either. Take a look at the picture and tell me your opinion. Picture 4 shows the galley in place, prior to clipping and sanding the planks. Some Zamak doors have been included for scale, however, if you look closely at the photograph of the real Cuauhtémoc above, you’ll notice that both the size and shape are wrong. Also, there is no outer watertight door. I haven’t yet decided how to solve this. I put a stick in place of the mainmast for reference.
  4. And now for my next trick, I will attempt to turn a pile of scrap wood and the remains of an old diskette into the integrated bridge system central console of the Cuauhtémoc. Picture 1 shows what I’m talking about. I collected the materials and a lot of patience. In picture 2 you can see the result. The console is less than three centimeters wide, and I recon it is rather ugly, but remember that it is just to fill up the space inside the wheelhouse. At best, only the silhouette will be discernible. Even then, I tried to make it at least decent-looking, and you might recognize the order telegraph, a telephone, the radar and AIS screens, engine control and of course the caña (rudder joystick). Picture 3 shows the console in its place inside the wheelhouse. At this point I noticed that once I glued the roof, this section would be sealed forever; I would need to either completely furnish it beforehand, or think of an alternative to manipulate things on the inside. This alternative was to cut holes on the floors of the wheelhouse, as you can see in picture 4. Why did I need to do this? Because I will need access in the future in order to install the transparent window panes. In picture 5 you can see the interior of the map room painted matte black. I did not want to waste my time with extra detailing for unseen sections of the ship, and besides, this room has frosted windows and is always kept closed. I also painted the wheelhouse ceiling white, and in picture 6 you can see why: the ceiling panels are simulated, and I also added a fluorescent lamp. Notice the seat for the guardiamarina (officer of watch). This seat is painted in black to simulate the real one, as can be seen in picture 8. I will dye the floor a darker color, and the inside of the wheelhouse is ready. Remember the ugly problem with the outside of the wheelhouse? In picture 7 I corrected it, by augmenting the wheelhouse roof’s sides with scrap wood. The end result is not that bad, as you can see in picture 9. The wheelhouse is still not finished, but we will continue later. We need some more planking to do.
  5. Both surfaces, and all areas. Apply it and then wait 10 minutes--or whatever the manufacturer recommends--and then press firmly together. After finishing, run the handle of a wooden tool pressing down on the planks to smooth them.
  6. They look nice, if a bit long (the flues). If those squares on the cutting mat are centimeters, these are tiny harpoons indeed! It is extremely hard to work at such scales. Are you planning to paint them, add some rigging or whale-line, or dye the wooden shafts?
  7. I decided to rest a bit from planking and focus my attention somewhere else instead. There are lots of small tasks to do, after all. I chose to work on the Cuauhtémoc’s wheelhouse. OcCre kits have horrible, glue-on imitation windows made of Zamak. These do no justice to the ships, so I decided to make my own. You can see the kit’s provided windows in picture 1, and a to-scale door for reference—these are not without problems, but we will deal with them later. On the left is the wall where the windows must be placed. For the actual window panes I will use some transparent plastic—I’ve been eyeing some old CDs. Picture 2 shows the process of drilling the holes for the windows. These were made with a Dremel multitool—one of the very few times I resorted to using it. The detailing I will do by hand, though. Picture 3 shows the wheelhouse pieced together prior to gluing, displaying my brand-new windows, and placed approximately where it should sit on the quarterdeck. Notice the hole for the mizzenmast for reference. Picture 4 shows another angle, and also the port wall with windows of its own. The problem with doing this is that now I have a partially-open, hollow wheelhouse that still requires even more windows and doors. Since the interior will be visible, I will have to furnish it—at least to an acceptable degree. All this is completely foreign to the OcCre kit, so we are sailing into uncharted waters now. There is also another ugly detail that can be noticed from the last two pictures: the top piece is the wrong size. I will need to add some augments from scrap material.
  8. Yes, it would seem like it is a common issue with OcCre. For me it helps that I have personally been on board the Cuauhtémoc on several occasions. I know the ship and also have a lot of pictures, but also this means that I sometimes get bogged down with the details. So far, I have accepted that it will be extremely difficult to exactly replicate every single detail, so I will settle for the middle of the road: there are issues that I find unacceptable, like errors of shape or scale, and others that I can live with. I have no experience in real-world shipbuilding, like you, I wish I had. However, I have a degree in mechanical engineering, which is always useful in these projects. For me, tall ships are attractive in a way that a modern warship is not--as awesome as they are. Perhaps it's the complex rigging or the adventuring sense they convey. I find them extremely beautiful.
  9. Welcome to the forums! HMS Cheerful is a beautiful ship, and also quite a popular choice around here. Be sure to check the build logs. You'll find plenty of useful information.
  10. With the main deck finished, it is time now to build the next element. This long deckhouse block is the ship’s galley, and also provides access to the rest of the Cuauhtémoc belowdecks. The other two doors that will be glued here later—port and starboard—lead to a pair of stairs and the ship’s mess. In pictures 1 and 2 you can see the galley—which was prepared separately—being adjusted in place. The forecastle deck is shown in its final position but still unglued. The big picture 3 shows the process of correcting the severe warp the deckhouse block had. The whole interior is now reinforced with wooden blocks to keep it square forever. This was an unexpected difficulty that I discovered only after the deckhouse was already built. One of the walls was subject to little tension forces that ended up deforming the whole structure. I left it in that correcting position for three days. Fortunately, the solution worked. Picture 4 shows the completed set of bulkheads in their place, and the finished main deck. In picture 5 you can see both the foredeck and quarterdeck positioned in place (not glued yet) along with the ship’s galley. Notice that the holes for the masts have been drilled. Up next: more planking…
  11. Welcome aboard! All comments and suggestions are welcome. Also, don't forget to share your log. I'd like to follow you as well. 🙂
  12. Yes, it does! These pics are still pre-Providence, so I was a total rookie then. There are obvious mistakes and things that I'm not that happy with the result, but that's the price to pay for inexperience. Today I hope to post more pictures, closing the gap between these and the current state of the project. It looks much better now!
  13. The next step is the planking of the quarterdeck, which the sailors onboard call toldilla. The method is the same as above: the planks are already cut and sanded. In picture 1 you can see the quarterdeck half-finished. To make it easier, I grouped together some planks and then applied contact glue to all of them simultaneously. The planks were held together by Scotch tape. Picture 2 shows the same procedure with the remaining section of the main deck. In Spanish it’s called alcázar. You can see the quarterdeck fully covered in picture 3; the protruding sections of the planks must be removed. The hole for the mizzen mast will be drilled again.
  14. True, the instructions are easy to follow. However, the main problem I see is twofold: process and authenticity. I cite two examples. Photos 51 and 52 (text on page 18) tell you to paint the inside faces of the bulwarks, and then glue and nail them to the hull. This is a huge oversimplification. You can do exactly this, but there will be large, unsightly gaps between the bulwarks themselves and with the hull, that we can assume will never be corrected because they instruct you to paint and glue them right away. The instructions suggest, perhaps for the sake of simplicity, to do this, but the model will look ugly and amateurish if you follow suit. In terms of precision and autenticity, look at picture 80 on page 47, and its explanation on page 18. Then look at the result in pics 116 and 117 (page 52). that's not how the stem should look. Now take a look at the very sharp prow of the real ship: (taken from: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/german-windjammer.html) In general, the shape of the hull is not correct. If you follow the instructions to the letter, the ship will end up looking "fat". I am correcting all these problems in my Cuauhtémoc build, and that is why it's taking me so long. The wood in general is acceptable, and the Zamak parts are decent--at least most of them. Not great, but passable.
  15. Very interesting! I was not aware that there was yet another one bearing the same name. And then after some research, I found that there are actually at least five, possibly six Esmeralda ships associated with Chile. All of them are historically-relevant in one way or another. The one from the pic looks fantastic! And probably it's the most famous indeed. I guess it would have to be scratch-built?
  16. As soon as I learned that there would be a boatload of planks to sand and cut, I built the jig shown in picture 1. A long wood strip can be inserted and is automatically aligned and measured, ready for cutting. This helped me to mass-produce the huge number of planks that will be needed for the three decks and bridge of the Cuauhtémoc. In picture 2 the building of the ship continues, as I glue the remaining bulkheads. Here the frustration begins. According to the instructions, part of the deck had to be glued first—which I did. This did not sound right, though. As we advance in the building process, you will notice how I slowly depart from given instructions and continue using common sense and my own previous experience at modelling. In this photograph you can see part of the main deck already installed and even partially-planked. In the background you can see the already-planked foredeck. Picture 3 shows the rest of the main deck glued and in the process of planking. This should have been done later in the build, now I know. The planks were glued using the powerful 5000 contact cobbler adhesive. Afterwards, the deck was sanded to a smooth finish. So far, the instructions from OcCre do not look entirely right. My engineer-sense detects something’s amiss…
  17. Ahh could it be the wonderful '84 armored Esmeralda? Or perhaps the other Esmeralda, the modern barquentine? I've been on board that one twice. An elegant vessel, her reputation sadly tarnished.
  18. Hello Mike. I am currently building Gorch Foch's cousin, the ARM Cuauhtémoc. Both are based on the same design and blueprints, real vessels and OcCre models. We could probably benefit from each other's experience. I have done a lot of research for my build, which includes the Gorch Foch as well. Be advised, the materials are good, but the instructions severely lacking and sometimes outright wrong. If you are going for authenticity and realism, there will be a lot to do.
  19. Sadly, only one picture survives of the launching ceremony. The Providence was decorated with olive and lemon branches, and the vessel dedicated to Poseidon, who kindly provided the driftwood base. The sponsor performed her duties admirably, and I prepared a small toast. The boat was properly baptized, the ceremony went without issues, and copious libation occurred afterwards. Even though the Providence actually does float, the “launching” meant placing it permanently on its official base. I am well aware that I might be the only eccentric loon to perform such honors for a model boat, but some closure was needed after so much time and effort—and it was fun, since it involved the whole family and a perfect BBQ. I also cannot shake off the centuries-long naval traditions, and still hold a quasi-superstitious, deep respect for the sea. Regarding the final state of the Providence, I know there are some details missing, but ultimately I decided against them: The oarlocks should have some padding made from rope, but it would have been too much hassle, as the pieces are already too small, and I’d have to reduce the oars’ diameter to ensure a proper fit. That would have weakened the wood too much, and the oars are already protruding a lot, so fragility is an invitation for disaster. I also decided against simply painting them to simulate the padding, and went for a cleaner, crude iron look instead. Line catchers are missing, and with respect to accessories, a drogue, paddles and waifs are also missing. Same situation with the tub-oarsman position’s double-oarlock. At first I did not know how to build it, and then I just forgot. In a true whaleboat the tiller can be removed, and the board should have its own rigging, tying it to a special cleat atop the lion’s tongue to prevent it from falling off the boat in rough weather or difficult maneuvers. I did not build any of this, as I thought that section would look overly cluttered. I am still thinking about it, however. Perhaps I shall return and take care of that small detail? As one very famous Italian reputedly said, art is never finished, only abandoned. You can find the Providence picture gallery here. Lessons learned: Sometimes I felt lost, others, frustrated. However, for all the shortcomings of Artesanía Latina and the kit itself—which are not that many, mind you—I learned here a powerful lesson: there are no bad kits; only bad modellers. The field of model shipbuilding is so flexible and open that it seemed wrong to blame the manufacturer on the end result. Most difficulties can be sorted out in one way or another—we are a breed of engineers, after all. A perfect proof is that there are thousands of modellers out there that build their ships from scratch. True masterpieces can be made from coffee stirrers. To have detailed instructions and laser-cut parts in this day and age is truly a luxury. This is clearly not a hobby for children, so I found it pointless to complain for one’s own shortcomings. The fact that the kit is so simplistic does not mean that you cannot greatly improve it. This could speak more about the modeller’s creativity for excuses than about manufacturer’s capacities or competence (sometimes a design like this is deliberate, so as to keep the costs and difficulty low). I learned a lot during the building process. But when I wrote this log, the learning increased tenfold. The mere process of going back in time, looking at the pictures and arranging them in order to tell this story, meant re-living it and new knowledge surfaced from past experience. Then I also arrive at new conclusions while writing. Overall, it was a great adventure. I used power tools as little as possible. The results that can be achieved by hand are much better in my opinion—even if time-consuming—and you have much more control. Also, when working with stuff this small, it is really not necessary most of the time. I love the end result as well as the journey itself. I know the Providence is not perfect by a long shot, but building her was fun. How I rate the kit: Authenticity: 1/5 There was probably very little research involved in the design, and it shows. The harpoons and rings are ugly and there are a lot of parts missing that should be there, like cleats and shackles. No excuse, the sails and mast cannot even be rigged properly. Instructions: 3/5 Useful to the bare minimum. Again, I understand it’s for beginners, but precisely for this reason more information should be provided. Also, the use of proper naval names. This could encourage the amateur to get more immersed in the craft. Strictly speaking, the steps are not confusing. But they are overly simplified, and for a total amateur this could pose several problems. Processes like varnishing, dyeing and painting are reduced to a mere word and a single mention, and these are important steps in which the beginner might struggle. Definitely more documentation is needed. There are certain parts that are entirely missing, like the rigging and where to place the cleats/rings. Materials: 4/5 This is where the kit truly shines. The wood is excellent. The sails are fantastic. The metal parts are fine. I do not give it a 5/5 because of small details, like the embroidery thread. Some of the supplied materials I deemed too low in quality, so I had to resort to looking for some substitutions. The harpoon rods were especially horrible. I almost discarded them from the beginning. The wooden pieces were fine, though. Especially the cherry wood, which has a beautiful color and is easy to work with. Packaging: 5/5 Impeccably packaged, all parts accounted for, and adequately protected. The quality of the instruction booklet and the box, print, colors, is superb. __________________________________________________________________________________ So, that's it for the Providence. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. You can find the ARM Cuauhtémoc, my next build, here.
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