jim_smits

Mercury can now be added to the build.
 
The support arm is inserted to the main drive gear just below the Sun and fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
Mercury is then inserted into the top of the support arm.

Hello!
 
The next lot of parts have arrived and I will be able to update the Orrery to add Mercury and Venus. 
 
First step is to finish off the Venus gear arm.
 
Firstly, a second gear wheel is attached using a screw and then the gear arm is fixed to the main support with a grub screw.

Finally part of the gear arm for Venus can be added to the support column. There will be two gear wheels attached but the second will be sent in the next batch. Two interlocking pieces of plastic are used to hold the gears in place with a tapping screw. Attached the first gear and awaiting the second.
 
The gear arm is currently loose on the support column as, again, the grub screw to attach is sent with the next batch.
 
Well, that's the first set of parts used and the basic structure is in place. Got to wait a month now for the next parts, but the mechanism should start to come alive then!

Next stage is adding the drive shaft.
 
At the top of the shaft is the Sun. This is a brass plate and weighs an impressive amount. The sun simply screws onto the top of the drive shaft. After this the driving gear is slid onto the driveshaft up to the sun and fixed in place with a grub screw. This gear also has a couple of holes for attaching the support for Mercury when it arrives with the next batch.

Onto the first real stages of construction with the unpacking of the second week's items.
 
The main column support was attached to the bottom of the base plate with three screws. I'm very aware that the screws are brass and could be very easy to strip so very carefully threaded them in and then tightened with a hex key multitool.
 
Secondly added the main column to the main support, flush at the bottom and then fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
This gives the main support structure for the orrery. After this is the addition of the sun and planets and the various gearing mechanisms.
 
 

Not wishing to enflame but I agree with the downgrade. Pluto is one of dozens in that same area and isn't even the biggest.....

The kit actually includes Ceres between Mars and Jupiter and Pluto and Eris out on the edge. Although it looks as though Pluto does not cross inside Neptunes orbit.

Mercury can now be added to the build.
 
The support arm is inserted to the main drive gear just below the Sun and fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
Mercury is then inserted into the top of the support arm.

Hello!
 
The next lot of parts have arrived and I will be able to update the Orrery to add Mercury and Venus. 
 
First step is to finish off the Venus gear arm.
 
Firstly, a second gear wheel is attached using a screw and then the gear arm is fixed to the main support with a grub screw.

Hello all,
 
I've just started collecting a partworks magazine to build a mechanical solar system, so I thought I would start a build log of sorts. Clearly doesn't belong in the ship build logs so I thought I would post it here in the Shore Leave section. Hope you all find it interesting.
 
Its a weekly magazine by Eaglemoss, although they send out batches of four weeks at a time, and should take around a year to complete. I picked up my first batch today.
 
 
 
 

Mercury can now be added to the build.
 
The support arm is inserted to the main drive gear just below the Sun and fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
Mercury is then inserted into the top of the support arm.

Hello!
 
The next lot of parts have arrived and I will be able to update the Orrery to add Mercury and Venus. 
 
First step is to finish off the Venus gear arm.
 
Firstly, a second gear wheel is attached using a screw and then the gear arm is fixed to the main support with a grub screw.

Hello all,
 
I've just started collecting a partworks magazine to build a mechanical solar system, so I thought I would start a build log of sorts. Clearly doesn't belong in the ship build logs so I thought I would post it here in the Shore Leave section. Hope you all find it interesting.
 
Its a weekly magazine by Eaglemoss, although they send out batches of four weeks at a time, and should take around a year to complete. I picked up my first batch today.
 
 
 
 

The package I picked up yesterday contained the first three issues and an introductory issue. Each issue comes with a selection of parts that gradually build up the orrery over the year, like the partworks Victory and Bismarck models.
 
All the parts are either solid brass or brass plate, with a few plastic washers and clips. So far looks really good quality.
 
The parts I have received are the baseplate and calibration ring, the central column and drive shaft, the Sun and the start of the drive section for Venus.
 
 
 

First step I have decided to take, after looking at some advice on Sky at Night forum, is to use boot polish to colour the etched markings in the base plate so that they stand out nicely.
 
Bought a tin of black kiwi polish, and using my finger gently rubbed the polish into the engravings in the baseplate. Once an initial coverage had been applied I gently used a rag to wipe away the excess polish. I'm please with the result but I think it will probably require a couple more 'coats' to get full and proper coverage and get the best detail to stand out.
 
 

Repeated the boot polish treatment on the calibration ring and again happy with the results. The black really picks out the engraved details nicely.

Onto the first real stages of construction with the unpacking of the second week's items.
 
The main column support was attached to the bottom of the base plate with three screws. I'm very aware that the screws are brass and could be very easy to strip so very carefully threaded them in and then tightened with a hex key multitool.
 
Secondly added the main column to the main support, flush at the bottom and then fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
This gives the main support structure for the orrery. After this is the addition of the sun and planets and the various gearing mechanisms.
 
 

Next stage is adding the drive shaft.
 
At the top of the shaft is the Sun. This is a brass plate and weighs an impressive amount. The sun simply screws onto the top of the drive shaft. After this the driving gear is slid onto the driveshaft up to the sun and fixed in place with a grub screw. This gear also has a couple of holes for attaching the support for Mercury when it arrives with the next batch.

Finally part of the gear arm for Venus can be added to the support column. There will be two gear wheels attached but the second will be sent in the next batch. Two interlocking pieces of plastic are used to hold the gears in place with a tapping screw. Attached the first gear and awaiting the second.
 
The gear arm is currently loose on the support column as, again, the grub screw to attach is sent with the next batch.
 
Well, that's the first set of parts used and the basic structure is in place. Got to wait a month now for the next parts, but the mechanism should start to come alive then!

Hello!
 
The next lot of parts have arrived and I will be able to update the Orrery to add Mercury and Venus. 
 
First step is to finish off the Venus gear arm.
 
Firstly, a second gear wheel is attached using a screw and then the gear arm is fixed to the main support with a grub screw.

Mercury can now be added to the build.
 
The support arm is inserted to the main drive gear just below the Sun and fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
Mercury is then inserted into the top of the support arm.

Mercury can now be added to the build.
 
The support arm is inserted to the main drive gear just below the Sun and fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
Mercury is then inserted into the top of the support arm.

Mercury can now be added to the build.
 
The support arm is inserted to the main drive gear just below the Sun and fixed in place with a grub screw.
 
Mercury is then inserted into the top of the support arm.

Finally part of the gear arm for Venus can be added to the support column. There will be two gear wheels attached but the second will be sent in the next batch. Two interlocking pieces of plastic are used to hold the gears in place with a tapping screw. Attached the first gear and awaiting the second.
 
The gear arm is currently loose on the support column as, again, the grub screw to attach is sent with the next batch.
 
Well, that's the first set of parts used and the basic structure is in place. Got to wait a month now for the next parts, but the mechanism should start to come alive then!

Second Planking phase 1:
 
Finished building up the stern post area with limewood strip to approximately where it needs to be.  Once I'm confident that the stern area will work, on will go the lower counter which will allow me to put the wales on.  I'm hoping to complete the wales first and then use this dictate the flow of the visible planking rather than install over the second planking.
 
The sternpost was marked off as best estimate of the end state thickness and used to guide planking.  I'm trying for a smooth run on the limewood, but then will be building up the second planking in 0.5mm increments to then sand this back as appropriate.
 
I'm using PVA glue for the second planking, its slower but I just don't like using CA glue.  There are also a couple of areas where the first planking is perilously thin so any additional strength will likely be beneficial.  Not going to invest any more time than necessity requires here - all of this will be covered by copper plates.
 
Limewood glued on but not sanded back.  This was a little demoralizing as essentially a lot of this was replacing a lot of the material removed from the keel former for the rabbet and bearding.  For anyone taking a similar approach keep this in mind right at the beginning of the build.

 
Limewood sanded to shape and second planking going on...

 
Additional 0.5mm thick strips added where needed for thickness...

 
Pre-finished 'step' look that will eventually be sanded smooth as required before the sternpost itself is shaped.