Charter33

Hello everyone . I have spent many hours on this mast project.  and have now reached where I want to mount the yards and make the top mast ladders and so on ,but still only one at a time -the picture with all the masts is just to boast

 
I look forward to the great work being done now that the masters "get together"
 
Cheers All.
 
Jens .
 
 
 

then all yards are formed - 16 in total, the last 10 still missing the yard strengthansers rope. but at least I'm back on track after a long break. it's nice to get started again and get the dust off the "old lady".

I have also started making own wooden blocks, so far only larger sizes, the smaller ones I will probably use from a CNC machine.
 

 
And now I am going to make them such way from this wreck pattern: 

 
 
So enjoy the pics from progress and have a great Christmas time.
Kind regards,
Doris
 

The lanterns on the stern were made of cardboard and thick foils,  included plenty of hand made ornaments from modeling clay/I use Czech product Modelit/Modurit for all decorations on my the model. I have decided to create a different shape of lanterns ( in comparison with Vale´s painting). I have found inspiration in Sailmaker painting of The Royal Katherine and other similar ships from that period. 
 

Sailmaker painting of the Royal Katherine:

 

Wooden catheads  with detailed decoration:

The decorative railings to the staircase platforms was set into wooden frames and moved to the model:

And finally there were made staircases with rounded steps:
 

 

The work continued on the decoration of the bulkheads again, which I made according to original models from that period.
 

Hello dear friends,
first I must apologize I was not here for a long time and didn't let you know about the progress. I have only little free time for hobbies and try to continue on Czech forum at least. I am sorry that I am not able to answer all your questions - mainly duplicate questions, that were answered and explained in detail many times  - I cannot devote myself to it, otherwise I would not have any time for anything else. It is also quite difficult for me write in English language and use correct expressions.
I do appreciate all your comments and strong support. Thank you all for this. 
I would like to bring some new pics from continuation, so make yourself comfortable and enjoy.
 
I managed to remove the model from pedestals and paint the underwater part of the hull with protective white stuff. In that occasion there were raised "dolphins pedestals" using wooden base. The girdling almost disappeared, but you can still recognize a different method of laying the planks.
 

 

For my next project, I'll be building the WW2 vintage Triumph 3 HW motorcycle and taking a break from the railroad genre. 
 
At the start of WW2, Great Britain did not have all the technical equipment needed for such a conflict, therefore a lot of vehicles were ordered urgently. Motorcycles, mainly used by the well known DR "dispatch riders" for communication between different units, were converted from civilian bikes with small changes, like military colors and the addition of frames for canvas bags. Triumph proposed in short time the model 3 HW, based on the civilian Tiger 80, with an overhead valve engine and parallel forks. This model served on all fronts where the British Armed Forces fought, such as Africa, Europe and Asia. After WW2 these motorcycles were delivered to many other nations such as Italy and Greece where the Triumph served for a long time thanks to their reliability and robustness.
 
Following are the instruction pages and a photo of the parts bag inside the box.
 
I plan to finish mine as a "Factory Fresh Model" as seen on the upper left of the next-to-last photo page.
 
  

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Phil, Kurt, that is very kind of you. The interesting thing is that I also make the most unthinking colossal mistakes occasionally and yesterday was one of those days Because of the nature of this part (cylinders) is complex i have been worried about the assembly procedure and the fact that I need the parts to hold pressure in order for the thing to actually work....I haven't even got to the valve timing yet.
So on Monday evening after I had posted my last pictures I went out to the shop to do some shaping of the bottoms of the plates I shaped the bottom curve on the front plate first because I had planned on soldering that first.
 

 
If you look carefully you can see that there is a couple of wedges of bronze silver soldered to the top of the assembly the inside edges need to be filed down to match the cut out yet, I was really pleased with the fix and had spent about an hour preparing for the next set of elements to be soldered to the block. setting up and soldering this had taken the better part of the morning. The first part was to shape the curve onto the bottom because I had the night before put the curve on the top instead of the bottom. I was annoyed with myself for the silly mistake and so fixed it first thing and because the rest was going to be done with the high temp soft solder I decided to silver solder the wedges on. This next picture shows it more clearly
 

It was close to lunch time and Judy came in and I was showing her how it all fitted together because she wanted to know where it fit on the model as I began putting the rest of the parts together holding ithe assembly to slide the flanges on which hols the plates together I realized I had completely screwed up the next picture shows the problem in A the wedges are highlighted, BUT it is upside down!!! B shows that I had not only filed the new shape on the bottom but then filed off the correct curves and rebuilt it to be square  leaving the first error intact. I said a few words loudly that cannot be repeated, and felt absolutely stupid.... how could i have made such a mistake again? Lunch was not spoiled however I was quiet Judy bless her said "you will sort it out" and added "Perhaps because there are so many parts you should put a mark to show up on the different bits"  Good advice for sure. 
 

 
In C you can see where the red lines are that in order to save this work I needed to actually now use this assembled group upside down because I had also soldered the valve block in facing the wrong up side. the block had to be machined to remove the material outlined by the red lines.
 
A bit of fiddling with packing pieces and the deed was accomplished.
 

 
Next I was able to add the top and bottom plates to enclose the steam chamber. I began fitting and checking 3 times before doing any more soldering. The next picture shows the assembly now becoming a substantial block.
 

Before the back plate can be soldered to the assembly I need to make and fit the valve cover plate. I used the rear plate as a guide for drilling the holes in the cover after shaping and fitting the cove into the hole I tacked them together with ACC glue then spotted through all the holes. The holes in the cover will need to be opened up to slide over the studs which will be threaded into the rear plate of the cylinder assembly.
 
I'm getting there! slowly.
 

 
You will notice the felt marker T on the valve cover plate. it is always advisable to follow good advice I think. the next task will be to make and fit the 12 1x72 studs before soldering the plate to the cylinder assembly tapping through holes is so much easier than tapping blind ones.
 
Michael 
 
 
 
 

Going through the wiring (relatively complex) of the lights and features of the submarine. 
 
The stands are made of usual plumbing parts and provide a stable base for that heavy model. I have finished wiring the torpedo compartments and the officer's quarters. All the connections have small connectors to allow me to take the whole enchilada apart. I suspect that the building of the remaining compartments and the conning tower may require an easier access to the hull and therefore, it is swell to be able to disassociate it from the base.

The result is quite impressive and massive: 


Close up on the radio equipment and batteries compartment: 


The hull as it stands today: 

Close-up on the various compartments: 



All buttoned up: 


Hope you enjoy that night tour of the insides of a German U-boot.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 2 October 2019
 
Yesterday afternoon, with the friend and fellow model maker Antonio, we lathed the famous 12mm. rod destined to become the main mast. For this event, I had the opportunity to use a simply monstrous lathe, more or less 2-2.5 meters long, with which a pole could have been turned.
 
A heartfelt thanks for the unexpected help.
 
Today, in my workshop, I proceeded to complete the mast with its accessories and below I show you the model with all the components of the masting positioned, obviously excluding spars and beams.
 
Sincerely, Jack.

01 Ragusian Carrack/02102019/IMG_20191002_160815.jpg

 
02 Ragusian Carrack/02102019/IMG_20191002_160825.jpg

 
03 Ragusian Carrack/02102019/IMG_20191002_160830.jpg

 
04 Ragusian Carrack/02102019/IMG_20191002_160836.jpg

A small update,  didn't do much as I was busy redecorating my apartment, finally finished.
 
Fitted and rigged the two Forecastle Carronades.



 
Fitted also the Poop Deck Barricade Assembly, buckets not yet.  

 
 
Robert

Aftermath
Four masted barque 'Pinmore' with heavy weather damage to her masts and spars.
An interesting career worth looking up
. Watercolour 420mm X 297mm
Jim

Another stunning picture - and just a hint of Turners 'Fighting Temeraire' in the sunset and juxtoposition of sail and steam? Love it. Thank you.

Another stunning picture - and just a hint of Turners 'Fighting Temeraire' in the sunset and juxtoposition of sail and steam? Love it. Thank you.

Another stunning picture - and just a hint of Turners 'Fighting Temeraire' in the sunset and juxtoposition of sail and steam? Love it. Thank you.

Another stunning picture - and just a hint of Turners 'Fighting Temeraire' in the sunset and juxtoposition of sail and steam? Love it. Thank you.

I finished the felucca. As I did not do it at the beginning, when I started this topic, I will put a brief introduction to introduce the model.   
The term felucca groups a diversity of small boats present throughout several centuries in the Mediterranean, which possessed sometimes quite different characteristics. The model reproduces a felucca from the Ligurian area of the mid-eighteenth century, based in the department of Porto Mauricio, in the Republic of Genoa, in the year 1759.   
The deck of this felucca presents a strong sheer, with a pronounced cantilever aft, which was called "a cadrega", which could be literally translated as "in saddle". In the main, this type of boat rigged with a latin sail can be considered as a derivative of the xebec, with its own peculiarities that responded to the navigation requirements of a ship of smaller dimensions than that one, and born at the beginning of the XVIII century precisely to be able to elude the attacks of the Berber pirate xebecs.   
The felucca was used both for fishing and for cabotage, changing its rigging as it was dedicated to one or the other purpose. To fish, he built a shorter and stronger yard, able to provide power and resistance to prevent the ship from turning under the wind due to a too long and difficult maneuvering surface. For the cabotage and the navigation with favorable time it prepared some finer yards that could carry larger sails that gave it more speed and allowed the transport of lighter loads.   
The model shows the pavilion of the Serenissima Republic of Genoa (a red cross on a white background) and the pennant of the Vicariate of Porto Mauricio, with four towers on a red background.

Fore cuddy and hoisting beams


 
I used the 3M low-stick tape to determine the shaping of the planks of the fore-cuddy. These go right up to the bottom of the thwart stringer.

 
As you’ll see, my planking here was a bit messy. Partly this was a result of my not being careful enough with ensuring the planks were bevelled  to the very edges of the frames – leaving a hole between the frame and the plank. Also when it came to placing the thwart stringer, I found I had to file away the bottom of the stringer a bit in order to fit the top of the planking. I could have avoided  this if I had done what I saw in Jeronimo’s build (https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/497-chaloupe-arm%C3%A9e-en-guerre-1834-by-jeronimo-finished/#comment-5561) where he built just the first three lower strakes and completed only after the stringer was in place. This would have made a neater job for me – although others seem to have managed it quite nicely without doing this.



The next thing to do was to place the hoisting beams which are used for lifting  the boat in and out of the water and also for handling the ship’s anchors and cables. These require careful shaping to fit the curve of the planks on either side. I determined the width first, using a piece of card which also gave me an idea of the bevelling needed.

 


When it came to the rear hoist beam, I discovered that the last frame on the port side (the one sticking to the keel without an accompanying floor) had come out of vertical and so I had to cut a notch from the beam to keep it parallel with the stern. This brought home the need to double check the verticality of all the frames before planking. Still, this is a learning exercise!


I then cut out the central rounded portion of the beams using a combination of scalpel (for marking), saw, chisel and sanding stick as follows:





Thwarts


 
I then made a template for positioning the thwarts, and used it on the positioned (but as yet unglued) stringer.


I used a 1mm feeler gauge to determine the depths of the cut-outs on the stringer for the thwarts (which are 2mm high and stand proud of the stringer).


This depth was checked using a small offcut of the correct dimensions.


I glued the thwart stringers into place. Unfortunately I rounded the entire bottom length of the starboard stringer (as advised in the instructions) which made an awkward/ugly fit on top of the fore cuddy planks. I was too lazy to unglue it all and shape another long piece and decided to live with it as a constant reminder of the need to think ahead!


Foot stretchers


 
I used a template to cut the slots for the foot stretcher cleats.

 

I then checked the dimensions of the slots with a foot stretcher. You’ll see a tempered glass cutting mat in the next photo. I’ve been trying it out in preparedness for some paper modelling I’ll be doing while recovering from surgery over the coming three months as I’ll not be allowed to lift or strain chest muscles.

 

I then used another template to position the cleats for the foot stretchers. The plans, of course, are drawn in the expectation that the frame positions end up precisely as portrayed . Unfortunately it seems my skills in ensuring the same positions were not quite up to the mark and so I had to change the dimensions of the cleats in order to fit exactly over their respective frames. I have to admit I quite enjoy trying to compensate for my various mistakes. Again it’s all part of learning!

 

The same template was then used to position the cut cleats.

 


You’ll note that the foremost cleat lies on the edge of the fore cuddy. In order to fit it nicely, I therefore milled out its inside edge.

 

The width of each stretcher was then determined using the old method of sliding sticks.

 

Finally I checked the orientation with regard to the stern by measuring and placing card thwarts and a stretcher.

 

So I am now deliberating whether I will arm the longboat with its cannon and swivel guns. I am not interested in building ships of war, more in developing skills in modelling and working on coastal boats. Also I am thinking about masting and rigging the boat. I can’t see how the sails would work with the huge cannon in the middle of the boat. So I am studying the sail plans and will make up my mind over the next week or so.


 
In the meantime I also have to think how to make the thwart supports and some of the wood attachments and ironwork that goes onto the hull and thwarts (mast holders, cleats, rings etc.).


 
All in all, it may therefore be some time before I can continue this log.


 
Tony

A link helps..
 
http://www.ryanmcamis.com/new-gallery

Check this out. A guy named Ryan McAmis from Brooklyn, NY is making a model of a gothic cathedral. It’s pretty cool. It’s at Ryanmcamis.com (naturally)
 
Kurt
 

Hi everyone I am still in railway mode..... it will pass eventually and I will be back at the boats. working on a new live steam boiler at the moment.

Shaping the base of the steam dome with some 220 stuck to the same diameter copper tube 2.875" diameter
 

 
next picture shows the smokebox and boiler in line the flanged front tube plate will act as a register for the smokebox.
 

here is a line drawing of the boiler
 
 
And the running gear
 

 
 
This is the locomotive
 
Michael
 

Poop deck in place. 
 
Had to finish all the wiring going to the gallery before I fitted the poop deck plywood. Checked that everything was working including the supply to the three lanterns which are to be fitted much later.

 
Planking poop deck, all wiring hidden,  leaving the holes at the back open so that I could reach the wire terminations for the lanterns.

 
Poop deck ladders.

 
Planking finished, capping fitted and painted, ladders fitted and carriages on the quarter deck fitted and rigged.





 
Openings will be covered with the flag lockers and a small piece of planking at the very corners after soldering in the lanterns.

 
There is a lot of work on the quarter deck and I want to finish it before I start work on the outside of the hulls. Still have to make the Skylight, the Flag Lockers, Barricade Assembly, fit the Forecastle Cannons.....
 
Robert