wefalck

Thanks for the praise to all I think there are numerous tutorials on the Web on photoetching, Matie. I am using pre-prepared brass sheets available from various vendors. In order to keep things simple I work with small frets only and use small vessels, such as plastic film containers, for the processes. Compared to professional foam-etched parts, my shop-products are not that well-defined at all. It is not so easy to agitate the parts in the etching solution sufficiently uniformly. In fact, I produced probably two bad parts for every good one. In the end I picked the best parts from all tries. Surface etching (e.g. rivets) is simple, you just need two different masks for both sides. As you can see from the pictures in the post above, one mask just covers the areas not to be etched-away, namely the rivets and other raised features.

Well, too much travelling the last few weeks resulted in little progress. It is frightening to think I started this project already in March, thinking that I would quickly return to my WESPE-class gun-boat project … ****** The excentric rod was turned from a piece of steel, while the actual lever with the ball end is a recovered piece from a similar broken commercial product. For other pieces of equipment I turned such levers myself using a ball-turning attachment. Method for turning the excentric for the holding-down bolt Holding- down bolt and excentric lever assembly Table bearing barrel and locking arrangement To be continued ...

Hi Mark, I have been tossing with the idea of getting one of these cheapo units, but your experience really put me off becoming an 'early adopter'. There is a lot of potential in laser-cutting, but as with every tool you get what you pay for. Also this experience seems to confirm the wisdom that these Chinese machines (whether manufactured to foreign specs or direct imports) should be rather considered an assembly of parts in an advanced state of machining … a starting point for a project I may come back to this, when my eye-sight gets too bad for working on small parts - hopefully in another couple of decades or so.

Traditionally, brass and silver are protected from oxidation by applying a coat of cellulose nitrate (collodium) dissolved in amylacetate, ethanol and ethylacetate. In Germany such lacquers are known under the name Zaponlack and can be bought as commercial formulations from D.I.Y. stores.

Ship models are usually kept indoors, so there is not really a need for preservation or stabilisation. There may be issues with woodworms (anobium punctatum), but this is a long-term preservation issue. In some parts of the World you may be also worried about termites, I gather. Otherwise, the surface of wood is usually treated for esthetic reasons mainly. Covering the surface with some sort of lacquer or varnish also allows for easier cleaning, which again may not be an issue for a ship model that is kept best under a glass cover anyway. Outdoor wood preserving agents that contain various organic or inorganic biocides would actually be most unsuitable for indoor use because they may give of hazardous fumes or may be toxic when people/pets come into contact with them. For the same reason, one should not (re-)use such wood (e.g. old railway sleepers etc.) indoors.

For straight cuts in brass up to 0.5 mm thick I would score it with a cutter about half-way through (as noted above) and then wiggle it (perhaps with a pair of flat pliers in the case of narrow strips) until it breaks off. The edge, of course, needs to be filed or sanded flat. Thicker stuff I run through the table saw or the saw table on my watchmakers' lathe with a HSS sawblade. This leaves a very clean cut. Curved cuts in very thin brass, say 0.2 mm thick, can be done with an inverted saw blade in a a jewellers' piercing saw. In this way the teeth will not 'catch', as otherwise there may be only one tooth in contact with the material at any one time.

For me there is only one rule: reproduce the prototype as well as you can within the limits of materials' sizes and their workability (and of course your skills). Detail only appears too much and overcrowding, if they are done overscale (for whatever materials or skills reasons). The conclusion from this could well be not to include a certain detail, because it cannot be reproduced adequately.

Good point, thibaultron, about the hand-files that are cut for the push stroke, while machine files have a socket at both ends, but normally are inserted in such way, that they cut on the down-stroke of the machine. I also acquired a couple of diamond-studded stub-files with prismatic resp. cylindrical cross-section for use in filing machines; the obviously cut in both directions. ***************** The lathe-turned part for the bearing-barrel was sawn in half and the two halfs were clamped end on in the vice after careful alignment. With a fly-cutter the surface was milled perfectly flat and the diameter reduced to bring the rotational axis of the table into its surface. Milling flat the halves of the bearing-barrel The position for the barrel was marked out on the piece of 4 mm aluminium that will become the table. In the following step the positions for the mounting screws were marked out and drilled mit a 3 mm drill on the drill press. The two half-barrels then were stuck onto the table with a few drops of cyanoacrylate glue after careful alignment. Bearing-barrel in position on the underside of the filing-table The positions for the mounting screws then were marked with a transfer-punch. A light knock separated the parts again, which were then transfered to the mill for drilling and tapping M3 of the mounting holes. I usually start the tap on the mill with a few turns to ensure it is perfectly concentric to the hole and vertical. The tapping is completed by hand. Drilling and tapping the mounting holes for the table on the bearing-barrel Sqaring the edges of the aluminium plate for the filing-table proved to be just at the edge of the capacity of the milling machine. The plate was clamped to the vice on the mill with a C-clamp and the edges milled flat. Squaring the edges of the filing-table With the bearing-barrel screwed onto the underside of the table, the assembly was bolted to the table of the milling machine for milling the slot for the holding-down bolt. This holding down-bolt will be tightened using a excentric lever. Milling the slot for the holding-down bolt To be continued ...

Actually, as the sail would be put together from its panels etc. you don't need any pencil lines and the likes. The seams would show up as on the prototype by the shadow of the edge of the panel or doubling.

Is the work done already ? If not, why not using very thin polystyrol sheet ? This would save you also the filling and rubbing down to get a smooth surface. Otherwise, I would use liquid plastic cement for glueing paper strips. This seeps into the paper and dissolves the polystyrol of your hull, forming a solid bond. You can apply more cement afterwards as a filler, before sanding the strips.

Not sure, why everyone wants stitched sails. The stitching and the thread used are grossly out of scale unless you work in say 1:24 or bigger. However, glueing the panels together is an option. Not sure the glue on the tape would be strong enough for the narrow seams in the sails. It is meant for full-surface re-enforcement in picture-mounting and book-binding.

If you are using brass throughout, a good base may be chemical tinning. I cannot recommend a reagent source for this in US though. After thorough cleaning and degreasing (as you would do for blackening) you immerse the parts in the solution until a coating has formed. Initially the coating is of a dull silver, which looks quite like galvanised steel. You can touch up places also with paint as noted above. Rubbing a soft lead pencil over areas that would show wear makes it look more like bare steel.

You may also want to have a look her at post no. 39ff: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/68-zuiderzee-botter-by-wefalck-artitec-resin/?p=53698, leading to the final product:

Here is some literature on Douro boats: BEAUDOUIN, F. (1965): Les bateaux du Douro.- 74 p., Lisboa (Junta des Investigações do Ultramar).

The work on SMS WESPE has once more stalled a bit, because I got side-tracked by some engineering work. I wanted to first complete the model, but then realised that a filing-machine would come handy when making certain parts … The die-filer is a machine that has all but disappeared from modern workshops. I suppose there are several reasons for this. Many consumer goods and toys that once would have been made from (folded) sheet-metal parts are now made from injection-moulded parts. For more delicate sheet-metal parts also photo-etching is being used. I believe the watchmaking and jewelry industry still uses stamped parts. However, also the methods for making dies has changed. While the stamp can be worked on using milling- and grinding-machines, this is often not possible with the dies, particularly, when they have to have sharp internal corners. The die-filer with its reciprocal, rather than rotary, movement allowed to do this. An inclinable table was needed to work-in the relief that permitted the stamped parts to drop out of the die. Today, electrical discharge machining (EDM) and laser erosion has replaced the old technique. Hand-held filing machines are still in use for work on injection moulds and similar tasks on complex surfaces. In a small model-engineering workshop, the die-filer still has its uses, mainly to work on precision sheet-metal parts and when one has to ensure that the worked-on surface has a defined angle with respect to another. A die-filer can also be used as a scroll saw. For this reason, castings for constructing a simple die-filer are still being sold commercially and and some small specialised machine maufacturers still produce different machines, mainly for the jewelry manufacturers. However, the latter ones are rather heavy and costly. Filing-machine for the jewel-making industry (http://www.walther.ch/hwz/d-fm77.htm) Kit for a filing-machine (http://www.martinmodel.com/MMPtools-subfiles/MMPtools-sub.html) Some bench-lathe manufacturer also offered filing-attachments that were driven from the lathe headstock. As the filing-machine is useful for clock-making, e.g. for working on the spokes of clock-wheels, some people made their own attachments for WW-type lathes and they are highly priced, when they appear at auctions. Cataract filing-machine for their bench-lathes (see: http://www.lathes.co.uk/cataract/index.html) Filing-machine from a 1913 catalogue of an unknown German maker Drawings for a filing-machine from a 1913 catalogue of an unknown German maker Building a filing-machine has been on my agenda for quite some time. With this in mind, I was able to purchase a treasure lot of rare Vallorbe machine-files. The lot contained round, half-round, tri-angular, and square files starting from 1 mm diamater resp. 1 mm x 1 mm cross-section, going up to 4 mm x 4 mm, and of various cuts. Unlike most other types of files, machines files are prismatic across their whole length and have uncut shanks at both ends. Treasure-box with machine-files A selection of machine-files I first thought about converting my only moderately useful Proxxon DS 230/E scroll-saw into a filing machine. However, the table would not tilt and the holders for the saw blade were difficult to adapt. Then a broken jigsaw attachment for a power-drill came into my possession. Having no need for such attachment, the idea of converting it into a filing-machine emerged. The jigsaw was completely stuck nothing moved, and the sole plate was broken off. After having drilled out the screws that held the lid, the reason was obvious: it was completely filled with saw-dust, including the ball-bearing, presumably because it was upside down used under a saw-table. After dismantling and thorough cleaning it worked again. This meant, that I had the mechanism and the casting forming the basis for a filing-machine. The disassembled jigsaw According to the tables in the machine catalogue fo 1913, from which above illustrations were taken, the maximum stroke frequency would be around 400 per minute for hard materials, or less for softer materials. I sourced in China a geared electric DC motor that is rated to have 400 RPM at 12V. The output torque should be sufficient for the machine to be driven directly. Geared 12 V DC motor to drive the filing machine In order to minimise the slot for the files, allowing to work on small pieces, the rotational axis for the tilting machine table should be in its surface plane and also should not move out of the centre line. The foot of the jigsaw was arranged in a similar way and only needed to be adapted. The table will rest on a half-round barrel that can be clamped down onto a corresponding bearing surface. I had some 40 mm diameter alumium in my stock from which I turned the barrel. It will be sawn into half and screwed to the aluminium machine table. The bearing for the barrel was milled accordingly. Similarly, some of the future bearing surfaces on the casting were milled flat, which just went up to the capacity of my milling machines. Luckily the zinc die-cast material of the jigsaw housing is easy to mill. Set-up for milling the bearing of the tilting table Part-machined jigsaw casting To be continued, once I got over my flu ...

These teethed belts and matching pulleys have a standardised tooth spacing and width. On ebay there seem to be various sources for them and some model shops have a small selection. Incidentally, the belt and the pulley on the above picture do not match, they should have the same width. While these belts certainly can transmit a higher torque than round or even V-belts, they do not act as a safety clutch as the other belts would. It is, therefore, easy to overload the motor, if something gets stuck in the machine.

When the strop is supposed to be served all the way around, one can also use a piece of silk-/cotton-covered copper wire and put the joint underneath the lashing, similar to what was shown in the above post. Such thread-covered wires are available from retro radio-stores and similar places, or sometimes on the flea-markets.

Only metal looks like metal … apart from this, the plastic modellers have tried to overcome this and there are a number of quite good metallic paints around now. It seems that Alclad is one of the best ones, but I haven't tried it yet myself.

Glue for 'paper' wall-paper is normally based on methyl cellulose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_cellulose). Commercial formulations have fungicides added to prevent degradation. If you are really concerned about longevity, you might also look into bookbinders-glue. A problem with wall-paper glue could be that it is somewhat hygroscopic and will swell at high humidity. However, as high-humidity may cause other problems with a model, the may be a minor concern.

I have a weak spot for these sometimes rather odd-looking and colourful Portuguese craft … need to get around to post my pictures from the museum in Belém on my Web-site. I'll be watching this log ...

… don't have a gun license **************************** The upper gun carriage Based on the profile drawings from (http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org) Part view of the drawings for the photo-etched upper carriage cheeks Surface etched cheeks for the upper carriage Filler and covering pieces laid out for soldering Assembled cheeks and ties laid out A core for the cheeks was sawn from 0.8 mm brass sheet and the etched covers soldered on. Then 'rivetted angle-irons', from etched parts were soldered on. These are connected by tie-plates. The frame of the upper carriage is also strengthend by horizontal ties. These are composites from several etched parts in order to show the rivetting. The horizontal ties were soldered to the side pieces, while the bulkhead-like ties were glued in because it would have been to difficult and risky to bring the heat for soldering at the right places. The covers for the trunnion-bearings were bent from an etched part and soldered together. Assembled upper gun carriage from the rear Assembled upper gun carriage from the front The upper carriage was further kitted-out with wheels. The front and rear rollers were turned from steel to give them a real 'steel' appearance. On the prototype the rear rollers sit in excentric bearings that allows them to be brought into to contact with the rails on the lower carriage: when being fired the upper carriage slides back on these rails, the rollers allow it to roll back into the firing position. Carriage with the barrel in place. Note the trunnion bearings cover (not yet trimmed to length) Added the rollers plus the sockets aft for the lever that is used to turn the excentric bearings of the rear rollers (Sorry, replaced the toothpick with a match - normal size not the large fire-place one ) To be continued ...

Lock for the 30,5 cm gun The next thing to be tackled was the lock piece or ‘wedge’. This 'wedge' has a rather complex shape with a flat front, but a round back and various recesses and cut-outs. I decided it would be best to undertake most of the machining operations while it is still attached to some (round) material that can be easily held in a collet. The round back was milled in an upright collet holder on my mill's rotary table after the various coaxial holes had been drilled and the flat sides milled, all in the same set-up. For machining the other recesses the piece had to transferred to the diving head on the mill. Round-milling the lock piece in an upright collet-holder on the rotary table Cutting off the finished lock piece The most time consuming part turned out to be the cover piece for the lock, which in the prototype was fastened by five hexagonal head bolts. It holds the moving and locking screws in their place. It took me four tries before I produced a half-way satisfactory piece. Soldering the microscopic bolts (0.4 mm head diameter) in place got me quite a few grey hairs. Finally a fake locking screw was turned up and the moving screw, which moves the lock in and out, was faked from a couple of drilled-together 0.1 mm copper wires, covered in a thin layer of solder to make them look like steel. Milling square and hexagonal bolts Facing the locking screw in special protective brass collet The large re-enforcement ring for the barrel was also turned up and two holes drilled into it for seating the rack quadrant that forms part of the elevating gear. In fact, I had cheated a bit, when drilling/milling the lock seat: the front of the hole should have been flat, which is difficult to machine; so I continued the elongated hole under the re-enforcement ring, which was made as a separate part and slipped over the barrel. The various parts of the lock were assembled using lacquer and cyanoacrylate glue. The (almost) finished gun barrel with its lock (toothpick for scale) To be continued ...

Thanks, gentlemen, for the encouraging comments ********** Milling the trunnion seats and the lock For drilling holes for the trunnions and milling the seat of the lock the diving head was set up on the slide-rest. I could have done this operation on the milling machine, but on the lathe the dividing head (http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/tools/dividinghead/dividinghead.html) is centred automatically. The outer end of the barrel was supported by the arm with an appropriate centre fitted. The resulting shape from the milling operation looks like a keyhole, but something like a mushroom shape with sharp edges is required. This was achieved by hand filing. Set-up showing for milling the seat for the lock Close-up of the milling operation in the dividing head with support Working drawing and files used to finish the lock seat For the next operation the set-up had to be transferred to the mill anyway: milling the seats for the square trunnions. The trunnions merge in a concave curve with the barrel. The trunnions were turned up on the lathe as disk with two round stubs protruding from either end. In the dividing head on the mill the disk was milled square to the size of the seat (or rather the other way round). These parts then were soft-soldered to the barrel. Back on the mill the concave curves of the square part of the trunnion were milled using a miniature ball-head cutter, rotating the barrel in the dividing head. Milling the square part of the trunnions Milling the seat for the trunnions Trying the trunnion Milling the concave transition between trunnion and barrel Aiming a gun in these days was a rather primitive affair, using just simple sights. The sights (two of them on either side of the barrel) consisted essentially of a round bar with a sliding rod to give the elevation. The beads (mounted near the trunnions) were observed through a ring of inverted U-shape on top of the rod. The bar was screwed into a notch in the barrel. Now, drilling into a round at a tangent is nearly impossible without deflection and breaking the drill (0.3 mm!). Therefore, I ground flat a broken drill bit to make a make-shift micro-mill and sunk a start hole. This was finished with an ordinary drill. Milling the seat for the sights Drilling the seats for the sights To be continued ...

Don't know about kits, but like to work with it, because it is (largely) isotropic, i.e. it doesn't matter in which direction you are working. The material is designed to not warp. It sands and glues well, it is also easy to saw. It holds sharp corners. Hardness and compressive strength are slightly different vertical to the board and horizontal, which is due to the manufacturing and partily intentional. The idea is give a relatively hard surface, while keeping it workable. I seem to have heard some warnings against breathing-in the dust of MDF, but I don't actually know what the issue is. I not producing a lot of dust, so it wasn't something I was worried about. As it is is easy to get material in sheets from 1 mm thickness on in shops that cater for architects, I assume it is very popular with them. It can also be cut easily using lasers.

These appear to be artistic representations of a certain Aldo Cherini. He has been very busy, but unfortunately, he does not give any sources for his drawings, so that it is impossible to ascertain their correctness. Some people actually do model pacific boats: http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/maritime/models/ellice/ellicecanoe.html http://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/maritime/models/gilbert/gilbertcanoe.html