wefalck

I found a small, only 10 cm long analogue Vernier-caliper with 0.05 mm Vernier most useful for work around the project and on the lathe. Less cumbersome than the bigger and let alone the digital ones. I also use a small micro-meter, a very thin right-angle square, a set of sheet-metal angle gauges.

I haven't had time to read your last two posts yet, but just a quick comment on points 2 and 3 on building method: Double-planking, I think, was invented by kit-manufacturers to deal with the fairing difficulty of too widely spaced bulkheads and to provide a good surface for glueing the 'good' planking. However, if the bulkheads are not faired properly, this will transpose into the whole hull and nothing is gained. A better method, in my opinion, is to fill the spaces between the bulkheads with scrap wood. This wood should be a tad softer than the bulkheads, but certainly not harder. Cut the pieces to a rough shape, not too far off the final hull shape to reduce fairing work and glue them into place. The edges of the bulkheads need to blackened or blued with a marker-pen first. Once the glue has set, you fair down to the bulkheads until only a fine dark line remains visible. This process result in a well-faired and sturdy backbone for the planking. If you made any mistakes in fairing they can easily filled up with filler or pieces of wood and sanded down to the correct shape. A lot of people in Germany at least use this method and I have used it with bulkheads made from brass for an iron ship. Later this afternoon I will have hopefully time to read throught he posts ...

I have a pair, but I think a ‘tick-strip’ is safer and easy to make on the computer.

Late arrival as well, didn’t realise there was a new thread … I would venture the guess that boats like that would have had locomotive-type boilers. These are relatively self contained and wouldn’t require massive foundations. A wheelhouse above the boiler may have certain risks (boiler explosions were not uncommon, due to poor maintenance), but would be cosy in winter. The smoke-stacks, if not double-walled would not obstruct the view too much.

Once again, this topic is deeply buried in my building log on S.M.S. WESPE and not everyone is interested in ships from that period. However, the propose method my give ideas to other builders of miniature ship models. Wooden steering wheels are complex assemblies, typically made up of a hub, a rim and the spokes. There may be metal reenforcing parts that prevent heavily strained parts, such as the hub, from splitting or keep segments of the rim together. The spokes are long, slender items and are usually turned to a decorative profile. Where they meet the rim, they are square in section and fit into the hub with kind of wedge-shaped tangs. Making such wheels in small scales/sizes, say with less than 10 mm diameter, can be quite a challenge. Here a method is proposed in which the wheels are built up from layers of laser-cut paper. After some tests with my small 3W laser-cutter, 120 g/m2 weight so-called Canson-paper, which is 0.15 mm thick and has a smooth surface, turned out to be the best choice. It cuts well with this laser-cutter, as it is not ballasted with inorganic material, such as barytes, which do not burn or evaporate. If one has a more powerful laser-cutter and a suitable exhaustion, one may rather work with styrene. The freshly cut wheels (I use a roof slate as cutting support) As usual some trials were needed to determine the right cutting parameter combination of contrast, laser-power and cutting depth. The cutting software works with bit-images and one should assume that for a simple B/W-picture the contrast should be 100%, but somehow changing the contrast setting changes the width of the cuts. For this reason, the final dimensions of the parts depend on the contrast setting. Laser-cutting is contactless and the cut-out parts are not moved during the cutting process. Therefore, it is possible to cut them out completely and in contrast to the photoetch-process they do not need to be attached to some frame. When designing the image with which the laser-cutter works, one needs to consider all these factors that sometimes can only be determined by trial and error. The wheels are built up from several layers in order to simulate the joinery work and to arrive at the desired 3D-rendering. Two core parts are thickened by two more layers the outline of which was drawn a bit smaller to simulate the profiling of wheels and handles. A further layer on each side simulates the rim and hub. The individual layers where first thoroughly soaked in fast-drying varnish (Zapon-lacquer), which impregnates and stiffens the cardboard. Then they were sanded smooth using a fine diamond (nail)file. The same lacquer is used to cement the layers together. Unlike many other glues, this lacquer only forms a very thin layer, not adding to the thickness of the material. They are adjusted while the lacquer is still wet and the layers squeezed together. For this flat tweezer as used by stamp collectors proved very handy. Of course, a piece of wire or a drill of suitable thickness are used as axis during alignment of the layers. Assembled wheels (the grid on the cutting mat has 5 mm spacing and the drill 0.8 mm diameter) Once completely dry, the wheels are given another coat of varnish as preparation for further shaping. This can be done with very fine and thin watchmaker needle-files. Thus, the spokes and in particular the handles are rounded as much as possible. If necessary, the procedure is repeated after another coat of varnish to prevent the paper from fraying. Building up the spokes from several layers already helped to achieve this effect. Steering-wheels with brass facing for the rim Some steering wheel have brass-rings screwed to the front face of the rim to reenforce it and perhaps also for decorative purposes. While this can be painted on, it looks more realistic, when it is made from real brass (remember: only real metal looks like real metal 😉 ). The obvious way would be to etch these from brass shim – but when going through this process, the whole wheel could have been etched, again in several layers that are then soldered together … Another route would be to cement brass shim-stock with CA glue to a so-called wax-chuck and to cut out the rings on the lathe. Cutting forces are quite high on the soft shim-stock and experience shows that it is not likely to work. A proven third route is to chuck a suitable piece of brass rod into the lathe, turn down the desired outside diameter, bore out the inside diameter and then part off very thin slices with a sharp and narrow parting tool. It is possible to produce a brass tube with 0.3 mm wall thickness and part off rings of 0.1 mm thickness. After a few trials to get the settings right, this will work fast and repeatable and result in undistorted rings. The rings are deburred on 600 grit wet-and-dry paper, ground finely on an Arkansas-stone and polished on a piece of paper with some brass-polishing compound. The brass rings are cemented onto wheels again with lacquer. A pair of steering-wheels provisionally assembled and the component parts The wheel is no ready for painting. An all-wood wheel can be readily spray-painted, but for a wheel with a brass-face rim, I would recommend brush-painting in order to avoid covering the brass in paint. With the brush mishaps can happen, but that little amount of rogue paint can be carefully scraped off with a scalpel. The paint further helps to define the round spokes and extra paint can be added to enhance this. Unfortunately, it often only after the first coat of paint that imperfections become visible. With some extra paint these may be evened out. The wheel is finished with a rope drum, hub covers etc. which are turned from brass rod. Double steering wheel on a stand and grating also assembled from laser-cut parts

If you don't handle the parts much afterwards, you might get away without priming, particularly when spray-painting. It also depends on the brass, some alloys are more 'greasy' than others. Another option is chemically blacken the parts first. Paint adheres to the blackening much better than to the bare metal. Should work for parts in dark colours, but may be not so good for parts to be painted in light colours.

Your mentioning of a double-ended boat in an earlier post made think also of whalers, who passed through the Chilean waters on their way to the hunting grounds. They would have carried double-ended whaling boats.

It would be also interesting to try to work out which different boat- and shipbuilding 'traditions' have influenced these Latin American craft. I gather Chile has seen Europeans from many regions and later N-Americans coming and going over time. As far as inshore fishing boats are concerned, it seems that the FAO has been quite instrumental in killing vernacular boatbuilding. There have been studies to improve the fisheries and the gear used and then they promoted the use of fibreglass boats with outboard engines. I have seen them replacing the 'traditional' boats in Oman and also in Tanzania-Zanzibar. Interestingly, in Africa they seem to have reverted to their old boats, as these could be repaired and maintained with the local skills and tools - I have a picture of a sunken FAO-type fibreglass boat in Stone Town/Zanzibar and in Dar-es-Salaam its all dugouts and small fishing dhows.

Though you may consider it only partly sufficient, the amount of information available on these vernacular craft in the Americas is quite amazing. I wish we had such (on-line) resources for some areas in Europe. Looking with the name of such boat types here usually turns up next to nothing. I agree with you that beginning to understand the context of our modelling subjects is most interesting and kind of brings them to life. Such research is time-consuming and sometimes frustrating, but at the same time also very enjoyable. I had the opportunity to travel to Chile a number of times, though I didn't see too much of the country, as these were short business travels. One time though, I took the time to pop over from Santiago to Valparaiso and, of course, the Museo Naval was the prime destination. The museum mainly focuses on the naval history and not so much on the maritime history (at least that was the situation in 2011, when I visited it), which is a bit regrettable. I do remember though the Bongo Pesquero as a quite new exhibit at the time. Unfortunately, there wasn't much information given about it. Looking forward to the future instalments ...

In the 1920s/1930s they probably still used chain pendants with two legs, one leg goes straight down to a ring-bold in the keel and the other leg to somewhere at the stem- and sternpost respectively. This arrangement has the purpose that the boat is suspended above its (loaded) centre of gravity, otherwise it would fall over when lifted (from the chocks). A slip-hook is hooked to a ring that joins the two legs. This ring remains outside the boat-cover. In order to allow the cover to be removed, there would be two slots in it, from the bulwark of the ring, that are closed with a lacing. This is the principle, but there are variants, particularly for life-boats. Since the mid-1800s many patents have been filed for quickrelease systems for the boat-tackles. It is of absolute importance that both tackles are released at the same time when lowering a boat into anything but calm water. If one and in particular the stern-tackle is released too late, the lifting of the ship in the sea will overturn the boat and sink it. The strap that @Keith Black was referring to are not used to supend the boats, but rather to tie them to the davits when they are only suspended from them and not sitting in chocks.

Thanks. The backlash on the rack-and-pinion drive doesn't seem to be too bad. One thing, however, suprised me is, that there is no graduation on that handwheel or a graduated thimble. How do you measure longitudinal movement then? The backlash on the cross-slide seems to be at bit high, but probably can be adjusted. A basic rule is to approach a critical surface always from the same side, which eliminates the effect of backlash.

Yes, it was a suggestion for additional clutter. One could think of axes, perhaps shovels as well, etc. etc. Actually, N-scale stuff like that may work.

Some precision tools such as sledgehammers and other like hardware?

It's quite amazing, considering what clutter we accumulate on our workbenches over time, how difficult it is to produce a convincingly random clutter accumulation on a model ...

Also precision matters, particularly, when working at smaller scales. One has to appreciate that with certain tools there are limitations to the precision one can achieve. Just out of curiosity: what is the backlash on the longitudinal rack-and-pinion drive?

What operating system are you on and what kind of software do you have at your disposal? I am on MacOS and have Adobe Photoshop Elements. With the latter I can open PNG-files and then save them as JPEGs - quick and easy. It should also work with Apple's own 'Preview' software. I gather there are several other image processing software packages on MS Windows that do the same job.

For some people, building a model is mainly the means to consolidate in a tangible form the results or their research. So it is more about the way than the actual product at the end, although this can also be an aesthetic pleasure, of course. Other people build models to exercise and demonstrate their skills and other just want something pretty on their shelves ...

There is a bit of a scale gap in books and other instructions on the practicalities of realistic ship models. For instance, Lloyd McCaffery provides ideas for very small scales, based on wire, in his book. There are the old-time classics, such as Underhill, but they typically are aimed at a scale of 1/48 or perhaps down to 1/64 or so. In the range of 1/72 down to 1/200 there isn't anything specifically in bookform, as far as I am aware. If you are interested in a tour-de-force of absolutely detailed, down to all the splicing and serving, rigging example in 1/48 including all the historical research that goes with it, have a look at @archjofo's log on LA CREOLE (we have been pushing him to write up his work in a more permanent form, but this is a lot of work). Another example, but in 1/96 scale is @dafi's HMS VICTORY. At this scale, he has to make already simplifications and describes them very well, including rope-making. At smaller scales the materials are a limiting factor. About the thinnest material for rope you can get is 16/0 fly-tying thread and Alterfil L400 sewing thread. Below that you will have to resort to wire.

Perhaps one should note an important difference between the Taig and the Sherline: in the Taig the longitudinal slide is moved by a rack-and-pinion-drive, which is why it has the handwheel in front of the apron, while in the Sherline it is driven by a leadscrew and a full nut under the apron, which is why there is the handwheel at the end of the bed. This means, that the Taig cannot cut screws without a modifaction that adds a leadscrew. Not a difficult modification and I believe, there are some examples for it on the Internet. Of course, additional modifications are needed by adding a banjo and changewheels, but these have to bought separately for the Sherline as well. The big disadvantage of the the rack-and-pinion-drive is that its position is less accurate than that by leadscrew and the 'feel' is less 'positive', depending on how accurate the rack and pinion match and how well the position is adjusted. On 'big' engine lathes one has a combination of both types of drives and the nut under the apron is designed as 'split-nut', which allows to disengage the leadscrew with a lever, so that the slide can be moved faster with the rack-and-pinion-drive.

I gather these were designed, before so much plastic was floating around the oceans ... actually a jelly-fish can have the same effect and is quite natural ... There may be also a an outlet for the sewage. Today you have to have buffer tanks that are then emptied when at sea ... I have not so nice mermories of having to clean out the blocked sewage system on a sailboat.

To be honest, I have no clue, why the pictures where converted to PNG. They were re-uploaded to these posts in the same way as the other pictures. Also, there appear magically to images of the plug at the end of the post, that didn't put there and I don't manage to delete them ...

These grilles are probably cooling water intakes for the engine or perhaps for an a/c, if they have one ?

I think @JacquesCousteau framed very well our sentiments in that respect. I have something like 45 years of scratch-building under my belt and a pretty well kitted out (mechanical) workshop, but I am slow builder. While I think a project, such as yours would be a great ambitions, considering that I spent already 18 years on a modest 1870s gun-boat and that I am approaching fast 70 years of age, I made a life-decision and that is to go for small ships that I can complete within a reasonable time-frame. I decided to put a lot of details in something smallish, rather than to build something big, where I would be confounded just by the number of repetitive details that I would have to make. OK, this is my personal philosophy as model builder. Before tackling a project as you envisaged, it would be also good think about what kind of workshop space you have, what your workshop kit looks like and what investments may be needed to bring it up to a suitable level. The next tough question is also that of the skill and true patience level. Personally, I don't like the concept of 'beginner's' models. That's something invented by the kit industry. I you are an accomplished artisan or have built other types of models from scratch, there is no reaons why you shouldn't tackle even an ambitious ship successfully. Of course, if you have to learn the necessary woodworking and metalworking skills first, the situation may be different. One can learn everything, provided one has the necessary patience. I personally think, that people do not fail because they have to left thumbs, but because they do not have the patience to use the rest of their hands. I think you are trying to pack to many ambitions into one model. Yes, everyone of us wants to build the life-time model, but there may be so many practical problems that this easily can end up in a life-time frustration. Break down your ambition into several smaller ones. Build a smaller-scale model of one of those mid-19th century wooden anachronisms, build an individual gun station with all the details, even remotely controlled functions, etc. and you will have a reasonable chance to be proud of it ...

You don't do it small, don't you? You mean the one of 1837? No, I don't have any plans. The Smithonian Institution in Washington would be a source, but others here may be better informed about USN ships.

I think this is a wise decision, avoiding frustration and an abandoned project. If you google for 'Atlas du Genie Maritime', you will actually find hundreds of free(!) plans from the French archives of ships large and small, complex and simple. I can't point you right now to a contents list. Unfortunately, due to being hacked, the French naval archives have taken all their digitised plans off the Web a few years ago. However, if you find something that interests you, send me the link you found to the small plans and I can send you the full-size plan, that I had downloaded before the archive went off the air. Another source of free plans is the Maritime Museum in Greenwich (UK): https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections A third source are archives of the former Danish Naval Yard in Copenhagen (Denmark) - great resource, but time-consuming to navigate on the Web: https://arkivalieronline.rigsarkivet.dk/da/other/index-creator/40/3353816/17149179 Keep in mind that these are copies of original ships plans and are not processed/redrawn for model building.