Elia

I have been imagining using sea green or blue marble tile as a base.  It does increase the weight significantly, but it sure ain't going to tip over very easily.
It would be a chance to use the diamond hole boring bits from American Surplus.
 
A dark Rosewood dye on the frame?

Gary,
 
Thanks for the quick visuals!  That helps a lot!  The green felt, or at least that example, tells me that that option may be too visually distracting to me.  I like the dark ‘floor’ example you’ve shown.  I also like the gravel example, recognizing that the stuff I’ve seen from model railroading is pretty small compared to the quick overlay you’ve provided.
 
These are quite helpful.  Thank you!
 
Elia

Here’s an idea that I thought worked out well.  It is intended to give a  impression of the blue green of water.  It is a sheet of copper that I treated with vinegar, ammonia, and salt, then sealed by spraying it with Matt varnish.  Same effect as Jaager’s sea green/ blue marble base.  I treated the turned brass supports this same way.  The stripe next to the hull is a light reflection.
 
Roger
 

One more idea that’s really simple. I built this case and was quite happy with a black lacquer.

 

Shipwrights,
 
A brig model I gave as a gift many years ago has returned to me.  From the moment I put the brig into the case I wasn’t happy with the pairing.  I find the wood and details of the model compete, and are somewhat overshadowed, by the vastness of the case’s wood.  I’m looking for your thoughts on changes to the finish of the case.  I’m also considering putting a different finish inside the case on the surface beneath the ship.  Maybe railroad train simulated gravel, or maybe something like green felt.
 
Thanks in advance,

Elia

Of course, one doesn't need to use real marble. Faux painted marble is much lighter - and cheaper!

Paul,
 
It is distracting, isn’t it? I like the idea of adding a dark ‘floor’ to the case.  Thst helps visually isolate the model from the case.
 
Thank you,
 
Elia

Hi Elia, beautiful ship. If this were my case I think that I would try adding a dark colored board to the floor of the case so that it is flush with the tops of the bottom/horizontal pieces of the frame. It looks like there is enough clearance at the top.

You could get some iron on veneer from https://www.veneersupplies.com. They have a great supply. Then get some inlays from https://www.inlays.com. Pretty easy fixes with a beautiful result.

I agree that the color of the wood in the case is too similar to the color of the ship.  It looks like a beautiful model but the hull gets lost a bit.  Do either of these very, very quick and dirty (and sloppy) photoshop edits help?  The first two I just changed the color/lightness of the base and the third I attempted to use the new "generative fill" tools to put gravel on the base, but I had trouble getting it to generate gravel as small as I wanted.
 

 
 

Here is a couple ideas. First one is a knock down, very easy to transport and ship. Second one is maple and pauduck, 

Shipwrights,
 
A brig model I gave as a gift many years ago has returned to me.  From the moment I put the brig into the case I wasn’t happy with the pairing.  I find the wood and details of the model compete, and are somewhat overshadowed, by the vastness of the case’s wood.  I’m looking for your thoughts on changes to the finish of the case.  I’m also considering putting a different finish inside the case on the surface beneath the ship.  Maybe railroad train simulated gravel, or maybe something like green felt.
 
Thanks in advance,

Elia

Well, we all seem to suffer from more or less from the same problem: the narrative I hear from time to time goes "why don't you do something useful with your fancy tools, such as making jewellery?"
 
While I am quite capable of repairing things around the house (and do it, given enough urgency and inconvenience  ), I prefer the creative aspect of 'making' things over 'fixing' things ...

Wives fail to understand (or choose not to understand) that fixing things around the house or yard work, now disguised as “gardening” and Ship Modeling are not interchangeable.  For example, “You’re so good at working with your hands, why won’t you fix that toilet?”
 
Roger

Today my wife caught me on the computer studying images for my next build. She commented "there are plenty of other jobs to do before you get into that".

Getting ever closer to a completed model. The following are back room shots at the museum.
 
At this point most all effort is install of final elements and touch up. The bow shot shows the gun tub in its final home with surrounding detail of antenna, hoist rings, cleats and the like. Signal lights remain to be added.
Excuse my out of focus shot of the aft view. It does however show the final install of all armor plate, rear 50 caliber, cleats and a birds eye view of the helm station. Life preserver and boat hook await install.
The radar dome will be the last install as we await the erection of the canopy frames which is very delicate work.
 
We will be presenting the wrap up at our January 19th meeting which will be streamed. If anyone is interested in attending please message me as we would be honored with your attendance.
 
Joe

Hello there:
 
Work on Bluenose has slowed as I've had to reduce my modelling hours to Saturday mornings - October-December is a very busy time at work and home so I'm feeling like a very dull boy indeed with all work and no play....
 
In spite of this I've managed over the last couple of weeks to plank the main deck. The joggling of the deck planks adds a significant amount of time to the process, and I'm not sure about the results - from a distance they're adequate and (judging by the photos below) my camera lens is extremely forgiving. But like everything in modelling it's about practice and getting a better feel for things with each attempt. And once all the deck furniture and fittings are added later things will blend in.
 
The quarterdeck planking is not laid parallel to the centre line like the main deck planking - it curves more or less in line with the tapering of the deck towards the stern. This will no doubt take longer even than the main deck, but I won't have a chance to start on this until next weekend, unless by some chance I can carve out some modelling time tomorrow. In any case, slow and steady.....
 
Enjoy
hamilton
 

Thank you Maury and Gianpierro, and also for the likes on the last post.
 
Maury, the marking tool is simple to make, but to use it takes some getting used to - and maybe there should be a version 2 that is more ready for prime time.  But the idea seemed worth pursuing and it actually produced good results.  The line is good for the initial trimming but is then refined by measurements around the octagon at each point.  The key when scribing is to keep both guide rods engaged to the side of the piece as the breadth changes.  Starting at the small end seems to help.
 
The marker is simply a piece of 1/8" square brass drilled with three tight holes for hard, spring steel wire/rod - or nails?.  The center pin is sharpened, is shorter the the guides at the ends, and is centered 7/24 of the distance from the inside of one guide to the inside of the other - not the centers.  7/24 is an approximation (7-10-7), a rule of thumb used by mastmakers.  The spacing of the three holes was calculated and spaced for drilling by the mill calibration wheel.  The guide spacing should be larger than the maximum spar breadth.  Although it will work for smaller spars, the error increases as the spar size decreases, so a smaller one may be needed - but may be impractical to use.  I will see how it works on the topmasts.  Error also increases with the diameter of the guide rods.  A filed point on each side may be better.
 
Ed

Error with the gauge will also increase when used at extreme angles. Several sizes are recommended, so that the changing angle does not exceed about 30 to 40 degrees. Two pins, 7 parts of 24 in from each edge, will speed up the marking out process.

I know I have uploaded this in the past.  But I have recently had several requests for this template and folks couldnt find it.  So here it is again in its own easier to search topic.
 
seventenseven.pdf

Probably in my Cheerful monograph.  Check out the many Cheerful logs.  Stuntflyer (Mike) has some excellent tutorials in his Cheerful log if I remember correctly.  But its pretty simple.  You just find where the template spans across your square stock.  Then mark the square stock periodically down its length on all four sides.   Draw lines connecting the two lines on on each side so you have two lines down the length of the stick separating it into a ratio of 7-10-7 .   Then sand or shave the corners to make an equal octagon.   Turn the octagon or sand it round.   Now you have a round dowel made from square stock.  Taper to suit.
 
Some folks will taper the square stock before they mark it off to the 7-10-7 ratio....others taper the round dowel afterwards.   Leave any square sections for masts alone....or octagon areas for spars.   Only round of what is round.  Drill any holes or simulate any sheaves before rounding off.  Its easier to do while square.
 
Chuck

Ed,
 
Here is another who is thankful for your superb Naiad and the build log, and your having saved the log contents.  I may not post much but have always looked in on Naiad - it has been a joy to read and observe.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Made the square bearings as per Model Shipway drawings and then Casey Blacked all gears, bearings and shaft.
 

 
Then started to work on the wood whelps and that is when I found I had made the shaft wrong, while I was looking at the pictures I thought there was a step and when I glued the first ones I could see there was no room for the shaped whelps so re-machined a new shaft.
 

 
Started to make the riding Bitt, cheek and knees adding in the square hole for bearing, this I machined in the mill and all wood was Boxwood
 

 
Added the deck pads which I did not have the first time and filed chamfer to both Bitts and then glued knees to Bitts
 

 

 
After that I started back on the wood whelps for rope hawser, made as per LB Jenson book but the shaped whelps I went as the picture, made all wedges so total of 20 pieces made from Boxwood to make up rope hawser.
 

 

 

 
Installed gears to see how it looked at this stage and also to start making the double pawl, here is a picture of old and upgraded
 

 
Pawl bracket machined .134" x .210" base part was .012" thick and sides with holes was .010" thick, pawls were .076" wide and had a taper on each one 
 

 

 
Added four .013" holes in base so that I could add four bolts
 

 

 
Looking not to bad 
 

 

 
Next up was to work on the Chain Hawser started by making pie shape pieces to go around shaft and then machined the wooden sheave which go on the outside (I think it is called a sheave)
 

 

 

 
Last ting was to add the iron whelps, looking at the pictures I think there was four and that is what I have done, but looking at Model Shipway drawing I can see eight so does anyone know how many? I can easily add the other four. 
 

 

 
I am really glad I upgraded and enjoyed making all these parts.
 

 
Until next time
 
Regards
Richard

While I was changing engine box I noticed the boom crutch I made was not right as per the drawings (I think I was looking at Phil Eisnor drawing) and I had put the shaft for the engine hoist to low so have now made out of Boxwood as per the drawing provided, did find a picture on the web to help with my build if not allowed please remove.
 

 

 
Making the new boom crutch I looked at the kit supplied items and again the white metal parts were not very good and also see how I had made awhile ago.
 

 

 
Started by making the bearings out of brass and 1/32" shaft (it said on the drawing provided shafts were 2 1/4" dia) then made two pinion gears, one which will go under winch gear and the other to go on counter shaft stand, size was .148" dia x .044" thick and made it 12 tooth should have been more but only had a .020" ball cutter, this worked out to one tooth every 30 deg, did use two cutters started with a .031" ball cutter and finished off with the .020" ball cutter.
 

 

 
Then I looked at the winch gear and it didn't look right with my pinion gear so made the teeth part .045" wide by .500" dia made this with 36 teeth so every 10 deg used a .04" ball to start and then finish off with a .031" ball, then put in the mill and cut spokes did it right and cut six 😃 did the spokes by eye so they are a little out here and there, but it did match the pinion teeth fantastic.
 

 

 
In the end made all teeth an 8 tooth, and two 13 tooth (one should have been an 12 tooth but who's going to count 🤔) then made the bell shape winches and the teeth parts for the Pawl's
 

 

 

 

 
Didn't like the Pawl's supplied in white metal so made both out of brass
 

 

 

 
The last thing I made which was the most difficult was to make the counter shaft stand again did not like the white metal one, it was bigger than the drawing so made from brass angle and brass sheet, bearings I machined from brass rectangle each stand was made from six parts and soldered together, all parts were then blacken with Birchwood Casey brass black, last things to make will be the levers for clutch.
 
Whit metal stand

 

 

 

 

 

 
This was a first for me to make gears, and I found I had a great time making all of them and I do feel it is a big difference from the supplied parts.
 
Until next time
 
Regards
Richard

Looked at Gary's (FriedClams) Bilge pump on his 1920 New England Stonington Dragger and he built a Edson Model #2 so looking at the drawing of Bluenose supplied it did not look the same so I have gone with the drawing.
 
 

 
Made some rough sketches 
 

 
Machined the body first out of 5/16" brass bar here it is just taken it off the lathe
 

 
Machined the top brackets
 

 
Once all that was done, cut the part were the water would flow out and ground sides so that I could solder a piece of bent brass to the body, also machined the bottom tabs for mounting pump
 

 
Then parted off then press fitted it upside down onto a piece of wood and machined the excess metal between tabs also drilled the holes in tabs for mounting.
 

 
Then made the mount plate with a small piece tube for easy of gluing to deck
 
 
 
Blacken the mount plates and made them so they would be parallel and flat because the deck has a curve, did carve out a step so they would sit right 
 
  
 
Next was to make the plunger this was .135" dia 
 
 
 

 
Next was to make the links, I took a piece of 1/16" tube machined the sides to get .049" then soldered this to a piece of brass same width, but I did notch it with the angle as per drawing
 

 
After some cutting drilling and clean up got the links looking as per the drawing supplied then made the handle started with the width of the tube hole then filed to shape, got to do the second one, blacken the two pumps at this time
 
 
 
Got them just sitting there not mounted but they turned out ok
 

 

 
Thanks to everyone who made a comment and all who looked in and and left a like do apricate.
 
Regards
Richard