dvm27

Really enjoying this build, Tecko. You may wish to visit Woodlands Scenery http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/ for some ideas on  road and water making. It's an excellent site with many free videos.

Stockwin wrote a very nice piece of life aboard a naval vessel in the late 1700's. It's a nice primer for his books.
http://www.mcbooks.com/pdf/KYDDsWORLD.pdf

Hello Mates!
 
The gallion painted.

 

Best regards Hartmut
 

We just finished some work on our house, which included major renovations to my workshop.  I thought of putting up a build log of the renovations, but it wasn't me doing the work, and I just never got it together.
 
My old workshop was my dream workshop when we moved into the house. It was the first time I ever had a dedicated room, and it was decent size, around 17x12 feet. It was a usual basement room: unfinished, with exposed insulation, uncovered small part-eating gap between slab and wall, and just got outgrown as I go more tools and tried to work on two projects at once.  The room was off a “two-car garage”, which only fit two cars if they are parked front to back.  I used my table and band saws there.
 
At the urging of my tremendously supportive wife, we put up an insulated wall that splits the garage and creates a new second workshop room. There is a third furnace room in back, which we were able to clear out.  All three rooms will be part of the new workshop.  The two front rooms got:
 
-Sheet rock over ceilings and exposed insulation
-Painted walls, ceilings, and floors
-lights and electrical outlets
-dehumidifier with drain for condensate
-vent for spray booth
-molding covering gap between walls and slab where parts always disappeared
-utility sinks
 
The unfinished furnace room got lights and electrical outlets.  The epoxy floors should be dry enough that I can start to move my tables and tools back in over the weekend.  Plan is for storage and big sawdust producing machines in the unfinished room (band saw and table saw). Still working on the layout of the other rooms.  Most likely paint and assembly in the new room with the spray booth vent, and wood and metal small power tools in the old workshop.  I don’t think I will outgrow this workshop, and now could build something bigger than a model if I ever want to.
 
Some pictures below. The camera on my phone made the rooms look a lot darker than they really are - the lighting is great.   I didn’t take any of the furnace room. It looks like an unfinished basement room with a furnace in the corner, but now with lights and enough electrical outlets.  First two pictures are the new room, second two are the renovated old workshop room.
 
Should be able to get back to Echo in a week or so.  It’s been sitting on the shelf if my office waiting. 

Really enjoying this build, Tecko. You may wish to visit Woodlands Scenery http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/ for some ideas on  road and water making. It's an excellent site with many free videos.

All hammock cranes and netting now in place >>>

With the exception of the 2 bow chasers and the 2 quarterdeck guns the deck levels are now virtually complete.  Still a few carvings for the stern quarters as well as a few minor 'things' then it will be a completed hull model . . . unless there are any other things I have overlooked ? ? ?
 
The following pics are really 'historic'.  Around 4 years ago, when I had eventually finished the hull planking I was keen to see the ship with it's rudder. At that time I didn't consider that I could have made my own rudder irons so went ahead and bought over-the-counter items. While their length was about right, their width was a bit more than was correct for the scale, but as they were all I had, I went ahead and fitted them. I've since often looked at them and wished I could remove them and fit better ones, but as they're glued and nailed on I fear that trying to remove them would make more of a mess of the planking than I would want to attempt to repair - - - so, I'm resigned to living with what I've got >>>

Gerhard,
Attached is a photo of our USS St. Louis ironclad taken a month ago. Unfortunately we found it impractical to manage or maintain the real time log on this forum but we have retained all the data and I am trying to retroactively bring the log up to date. We have 9 of our Gateway Model Shipcrafters participating part time on this project which has been in continuous construction since September 2014 and we expect to take at least another year to complete. As you have independently recognized for your USS Cairo, researching to verify or correct the enormous amount of conflicting or missing data for the City Class Ironclads is a full time job by itself.
 
johnhoward

Sorry it has taken me so long to post anything and am not sure how this new system works

Other hoy draughts I've seen do not show hawse holes. I suspect they simply moored hoys to a dock or wharf rather than anchor them. The Grice drawing on page one of your log doesn't actually show catheads.

Once they were test fit, the cat heads seemed to be a bit too long and a bit "heavy".  I shortened them about 12" (1/4" at scale) and tapered the top of the arm a bit.

 

I'm happier with them now.  I need to work on the simulated sheaves.  The hawse holes are another matter.  Just where to put them is wide open.  None of the drawings available show them at all.  Seems unlikely they would have just run the anchor hawse over the top of the rail.
Maury
 

Is your mill CNC controlled or did you freehand mill that stem rabbet? Very impressive in either case.

Is your mill CNC controlled or did you freehand mill that stem rabbet? Very impressive in either case.

That's really cool Dennis. It would be even cooler if you were to use a contemporary Admiralty dockyard building slip, complete with workers, as the background. 

Fascinating casting and the small boats look beautiful, Alex. It looks like you cast far more parts then you can use on your two models. Do you sell the rest or just keep them in case you mess one up?

Is your mill CNC controlled or did you freehand mill that stem rabbet? Very impressive in either case.

Start of small boats production

I reproduce the parts and prepare them for casting

Richard / Tecko, thanks for the feedback.
 
Dan, Thanks for the tip. We have an induction hob which does not like experimentation. Fortunately the oven has no such restrictions and has an inbuilt (very hot) cleaning cycle. I'll have a go when its next due a clean.
 
Bedford - the trouble is I am getting to the age where I forget what I have learned. I hope your memory banks are better than mine.
 
To continue:-
 
Altair has various masts, spars, booms and yards. All of which require numerous drilling and machining tasks. In the past I have improvised various solutions for accurately positioning, clamping, and repositioning them on the mill table. Rather than improvise for each item I though i'd spend a couple of days making a jig to take a range of diameter, and also deal with tapers. I wanted the jig to be quick to set up, hold the item firmly and ensure accuracy of position / machining. Also I wanted to clamping to be kind to the item and leave no marks.
 

 
The result is pictured below. Rather than explain the build here I thought I'd do a piece in Workshop equipment.
 
 

The keel is now in 4  or 5 parts and extensive milling has been worked almost completely.
Both extremities are taper but only at the height of the frames to allow the external planking to fit flush with the keel.
The keel beams are not tapered they remain full.
I am beginning to fit the ''lock beam'' above the frames.
When this part will be completed, beams will be assembled.
The fitting of the beams on the keel is done at this stage because it is easier to manipulate just a part of the frame instead of the entire frame.

THIS POST IS WHERE I AM AT THE MOMENT.
 
Installing the bridge railings. The gaps seen near the traffic lights is for the swing gates that block the road traffic.

Painted the railings and the cement parts. The road is concrete (cement with gravel) and will be my next job.


That's it so far.
Will be posting updates as I reach certain milestones.
 

Hi!
Slow work but have finally found a way to build the frames. I've seen others doing the lower parts first and it makes sense. Here's some first results:

Have you thought about how you are going to mount your model? Now would be the time to drill and tap holes for the mounting screws if that is in your plans.

Have you thought about how you are going to mount your model? Now would be the time to drill and tap holes for the mounting screws if that is in your plans.

Have you thought about how you are going to mount your model? Now would be the time to drill and tap holes for the mounting screws if that is in your plans.

Have you thought about how you are going to mount your model? Now would be the time to drill and tap holes for the mounting screws if that is in your plans.