Elia

Thanks, guys.
 
Druxey, the grey Scotchbrite was cut to make a 1 - 1 1/2" circular disk, then fitted to a mandrel.  The edge was used to buff - very lightly - just enough to knock down some of the brass glare - 5 minutes for the whole area.  All excess cement removed first.   With the disk rotation down and aft, no problems picking up edges or corners.  The roller and having glue under the entire plate have the edges secured pretty well.  To pry some of them up for repositioning, I had to use a chisel to get a corner lifted.  With the indentions going in, the surface is very smooth.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 114 – Cabins, Brass Sheathing
 
With the forecastle essentially complete, I returned to the interior of the cabin deck.  The first picture shows the cabins on both sides completed.
 

 
The poop deck framing has been installed back to the last cabins.  The curved wood block that will serve as the base for the circular seat and paneling is set in place.  This will close off the aft end of the cabin deck, separating it from the stern framing and the helm.  Note also that the double doorway into the cabin deck has been cut – once the poop framing was done.
 
I also started work on the main deck cabin.  The starboard fore and aft wall panel is being constructed in the next picture.
 

 
The panel was made first from individual planks.  It has to follow the sheer of the deck.  In the picture the 4X4 plate that will support the roof rafters is glued on and 4X4 studs are being attached.  The next picture shows the framed wall in place for a trial fit.
 

 
The doors and windows have been framed on the inside.  In the next picture they have been cut out.
 

 
The exterior walls will be white.  I will do this painting before fitting the natural wood framing of the doors and windows.
 
This has all been a nice diversion from the brass sheathing of the hull, but I did not want to proceed further with details on the main deck without finishing the lower hull to minimize the need to upending the model.  The next picture shows the stamping tool for embossing nails on the brass plates.
 

 
This was discussed in some previous posts.  The area on the right is used to stamp every plate.  The single row stamp to the left is used for the top dress course.  It needs a row of nails added at the top.
 
The plates are cemented down with contact cement, with the indentations up to simulate nails hammered into the plates.  These should more correctly be called sheets.  They were very thin.  Being nailed over a felt underlay would have left a decidedly quilted appearance.  In the next picture, a plate has been cemented and is being rolled down.
 

 
This improves the bond with the contact cement, presses down the edges, and flattens out the indentations.  Glue is applied to one plate and its place on the hull at a time.  This is necessary to have glue on the overlaps.  Excess cement that can be seen on installed plates in this picture is easily removed later.
 
The last picture shows this work completed.
 

 
The brass is very shiny.  It will dull with time, but I helped it along with some buffing with a Scotchbrite disc in a rotary tool – just enough to dull the glare a bit.
 
Work on the bottom framing can now be completed – adding any missing bolts, blackening the copper wire bolts, final poolishing and applying wax finish.  It may also be time for the stern lettering.
 
 
Ed

Patrick, Druxey, Mark T, Germanus, Row, Jack, Igor, Carl, Bob, John, Gary, Mike, Dan, Denis, Ed, Mark.
 
Thank all so very much for the well wishes, it is indeed great that Judy is well enough to be home and she has even gone back to work at the Library, (it is a small rural one and Judy is the Librarian  Manager she was looking forward to getting back so much.
 
P.S. : the Most Honourable and Noble Swiss Watchmakers´ Society at Geneva would be pleased to send you their application form.
Germanus this made me smile, They are way way above my league, but as a kid I wanted to be a watchmaker..... it is a funny world we live in. When I was 15 I had 24 chiming clocks in my bedroom all sort of them, picked them up in junk shops in England, they would be hard to find these days, but in the late 50's early 60's they were a dime a dozen.
 
I am almost sure that if to fill in couple of drops of gasoline in this engine it will start working.
Igor, as soon as she is ready that is what will happen.
 
The cover plate for the cavity on the top of the head, took for ever to fit, but it had to be precise and snug before I could drill the holes.
 
After the blank was fitted I flipped the head upside down and clamped it in the milling machine on top of a sacrifice block of brass, I used brass so that the plate had something the same density so that the hole would not form a bur on the drill exit.
 
The set up included using a couple of the original integrated spark plugs as drill bushings to act as guides for pilot drilling the holes in the plate
 

 
After the .078 hole was drilled the bushing was removed in order to then drill out a clearance hole for the spark plug which is .136"
 

 

 
The head was then indexed over to line up the second hole this was done by trial and error, by raising and lowering the .078 drill until it slipped into the hole easily. I did ensure that the upside down bit ran true before doing the set up.
 

 
Then drilled out the second hole.
 

 
Then repeated the clearance hole for the plug.
 

 
I made a couple of large .031 brass washers to act as the small circular covers these will get mounted to the oval plate with four small 00x 90 round head screws.
 

 

 

 
It is great to get a bit more time in the shop, and I am spending more with Judy now that she is back on her feet.
 
Thanks for all the likes as well.
 
Michael
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hello shipmates, I installed the bow's and stern's decorations of the ship and I also opened the portholes below the stern's balcony.
 
Best Regards 
Dimitris

Hello shipmates.
 
Elia I do thank you for visiting my build log, for your nice comments and also for your likes :)
Slog-Igor I do thank you for visiting my build log and also for your likes. :)
 
So.. I finished the A.V.'s balcony on the stern. I have to say that it is a tricky spot and it gave me a hard time  bending the brass fence and installing it right....
 
Kind regards
Dimitris

Time for another update.
 
The hull planking has now been completed and the rubbing strake fixed.  There are still a few details to add to the hull, but in the meantime I'll make a start on the deck planking.
 
John
 

 

 

 

Hi everyone and thanks for your Likes, especially Mike, Anton, Bob, Michael, Nick, Matija, Mark and Piet for all your comments, advice and compliments.
 
I'm a much happier boy tonight!!!!  I made sure that I applied the masking tape and pressed it down firmly this time and it seemed to work far better.  There is only a little bit of bleeding which can be easily dealt with.
 
More importantly, the paint finish is smooth and shiny.  I've tried to show how good the gloss looks in the photos below.  I'm not sure if the camera has picked up the reflections bouncing off the gleaming hull well enough; but you get the idea.  
 
Up on the deck, I've also added the gloss black cap rail, which highlights the slim and streamlined shape of the hull when viewed from above.
 
I hope you enjoy the photos.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Hi everyone!
 
Many thanks for all your Likes and comments! They're all gratefully appreciated.
 
Last night was a milestone for two reasons. Firstly, I glued the deck to the hull (too bad if I left any detail off-oops!) because it'd be too late to add any internal stuff now. Secondly, I started to paint the hull - gloss black above and Matt red below the waterline. Whilst there's lots more painting, sanding and cleaning up to go (note the bleeding of paint where black meets red and on the gunwales above deck), before I can move onto other things like the mast, etc, but, at least two milestones have been met.
 
Her are the most recent photos.
 
Hope you enjoy them!
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Greetings,
I've been working in the ELCO just over two years now and I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Today I finished work on the four torpedo tubes, they still ned to be painted and the torpedo head mounted in the forward end of the tube but the hard part is finally behind me.    
 
The impulse chambers have been mounted along with all the brass photo-etch parts on the tubes, the hardest part was cutting and mounting the rings to the reinforcing plates, (see photos below).
 
Reinforcing rings for torpedo tube still on the tree.
 

 
Reinforcing ring in first step for sizing to fit the tube, the forward and rear rings are two different sizes.
 

 
Test fitting reinforcing rings until final size is obtained.
 

 

 

 
Torpedo tube complete with all brass and reinforcing rings attached.
 

 
Cheers,
Tim

Simon -
 
Very crisp, clean modeling. Very very nice work.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Echo update #8 is completed and posted on our website http://www.admiraltymodels.com. My version below shows the stock framing package on the port side and the fully fitted out version in progress on the starboard side.. Please keep in mind when ordering the framing package that it is the complete framing only. The fitting out instructions are free of charge and posted on our website every few months. We are hoping to develop and sell a fitting out package in the near future complete with laser cut deck beams, gun carriage and other details. Stay tuned.
 




 

Glad Judy is home.  Nothing, not even the boat is as important as that.
 
Bob

I'll third it.... that's very good news.

I second Patrick's remarks, Michael!

Hi Michael
 
It's great to see you back in the workshop, but most importantly, it's fantastic that Judy's well enough to come home.
 
All the best to you both.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Thanks to all for the likes and comments
I have not been able to spend much time in the shipyard this last few weeks, but things have improved a great deal this week, Judy is home now.
 
I did manage to get some time today to make some changes to the spark plugs. I was not happy about the way the plug were integrated into the head structure so after a couple of experiments I now have proper spark plugs they are made from some Allen key, that I annealed.
 

 
The thread is a 6x40 I had to make them long reach which meant it was a bit tricky drilling a .028" hole almost 1/2 inch long through the Corian core which is only .078" diameter.
 

 
The hand shot for scale
 

 
The brass now functions as it was intended to hold down the oval cap to enclose the water cavity, and the spark plug threads into it.
 

 

 

 
All I have to do now is add a brass  0 x 80 or a 00x90 threaded section to the top of the electrode in order the be able to make a good positive connection with the ignition cables. i will need to see how easy it is with the 00x90 which is a better scale size.
 
Michael
 

Bob, Row, Denis thanks for your great comments, and for all the likes recently.
 
 
I had to go back an measure it, it is set to be .047" I might need to change that, I don't know at this point. but the design will enable me to make a change if I need to.
 

 
spark plug.pdf
 
I will be making a small short sleeve at the bottom end of the plug that will thread in this will be then notched to creat a short stub to act as the ground for the plug so that the spark jumps from steel to steel.
 
Michael

Small morning update, barrels for water (rum?  ). 

Ratlines finished  .

Kit instructions suggest to use rope for attaching anchors. Instead of rope I used chain. For blackening I used Blacken-it solution and slightly oiled it before installation to hide patina look.

Still few bits to go, currently working on display case.
 
 

Dimitris,
 
All very nice! You've been quite productive. The portholes, the deck furniture, the stack, windlass, and crane all look really great will compliment the model.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Hello shipmates, Brian-Mike, I thank you for visiting my build log and also for your likes.   The things in the shipyard are moving slowly.. Weekend udate.I constructed the chimney, the Mantua didn't come with any clue on how to install the four rings on the chimney. The kit's  handrail stanchions are not of my taste. They look fake.So i decided to cut some stanchions to construct a base for the 4 rings of the chimney.
 

 
I also start to assemble the windlass.
 

 
Further more I constructed the Radar too.
 

 
And finally finishing the quarter's deck house with mahogany varnish, also I put  transparent pieces (it was not included in the kit)of plastic to simulate the glasses of the windows.
 

 
 
 
P.S. I decided to change the portholes with better quality products http://www.rbmodel.com/index.php?action=products&group=048
 
Kind Regards
Dimitris

Hello shipmates, Elia-Brian-Mike-KeithW, I thank you for visiting my build log and also for your likes.
 
Now to my build progress. I installed the portholes to the port side and also  opened the  doors with my Dremel . I also start to construct the deck house that is going to the quarter deck.
 
Cheers
Dimitris

Thank you all very much for all of the positive reinforcement.  I hoping she will be ready for launch - meaning hull completion - in a month or so.
 
Greg, to answer your question, the 14" wide margin plank was installed first with uncut edges.  Planking was worked out from the center - 6" wide planks.  Central planks were mitered at the end until the angle of the cuts reached about 45 degrees.  Before installed the last mitered plank, it was laid in place to mark the intersection of its outer edge  with the inner edge of the margin plank.  Before installing the last mitered plank, a cross cut - one-half plank width - was plunge cut with a chisel or hobby knife into the side of the margin plank.  The unshaped joggled plank was then laid in place to mark its intersection.  The angle of the joggle was then cut with a chisel between the two marks.  After fitting the last mitered plank, the first joggled plank was tapered at the end to fit the joint.  Before installing it the margin was marked in the same way for the next plank.  Below is a picture showing the marking of some later planks.
 

 
This process was fast and worked well.  If I were doing it again, I would make the forward curved piece of the margin plank shorter so its scarphed joint would occur before the first joggled plank - to avoid having to joggle a plank into the scarph.  It never too late to learn.

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 113 – Forecastle
 
The first picture shows the margin plank on the forecastle installed and planking started along the centerline.
 
  
 
The next picture shows the completed planking – as yet untreenailed.
 

 
In the next picture the forward end of the fancy rail has been made and is being fitted around the knightheads.
 

 
The adjoining pieces of the fancy rail are being fitted in the next picture.
 

 
In the next picture the sections of fancy rail have been painted white and are being glued down.
 

 
All treenailing of the forecastle deck has been completed in this picture.
 
The last wo pictures are of the full hull – as requested.
 

 
I have to do quite a bit of clutter removal to take pictures like this.  This picture also shows some progress on the port side cabins of the cabin deck at the stern.
 
The last picture is from a different angle.  The part below the black will be plated.
 

 
The bowsprit is just a dummy.  The channel edges are unpainted because cap moldings will eventually be glued to these edges.
 
Ed

Steven,
 
I wouldn't use paper.  If you don't want to use cloth, use silkspan from a hobby shop that deals with the RC guys/gals.  It comes in various weights and you'd probably need to acquire small amounts of several sizes to find which one works best for you.