vaddoc

Hello again everyone,
 
It has been a while since I have been able to get any work done, March was a very busy month. It started off with attending a cousin's wedding in South Louisiana, followed by a couple of rounds of severe storms that knocked down several trees on the property. Unfortunately these trees fell across our fencing used to contain our farm animals, so along with having to play lumberjack, we were also having to play cowboys and round up the herd. So fence repairs took some time to get done, but we managed to get them all repaired and the herd is now once again happy and contained. The fence work was also completed just in time for the Admiral and I to jet off on a two week vacation. Crossed another bucket list item off the list and finally visited Pearl Harbor (and some of the other parts of Hawaii). Once we got back from the trip, it was time to get back to the bench and get some work done. Well, I made a little progress the last week of March before Covid decided to rear it's ugly head and invade our house. First the Admiral came down with it and then me. So I have spent the last week and a half trying to kick this nasty bug, and I finally feel good enough to sit down and post an update.
 
So with all that being said. here is what I was able to get done.
 
I started working on getting the hull plated. I decided that I would go ahead and skin the hull with 1/16" basswood for now. I'm still not 100% sure of how I am going to simulate the steel plates, but I figured that I would go ahead and get the basic shape of the hull done and work on that once it was completed. The first section covered was the center keel area, since this was the easiest shape to make. I started with a cardstock cutout of the area then transcribed it to the basswood sheet.

 
Next I soaked the forward end of the plank and shaped it to get the gentle curve of the bow.

 
Then it was on to gluing the sheet to the hull. I wanted to make sure that I got a good bond so I used a little weight to help hold it down.

Finally the front end of the sheet was glued, clamped and left to dry.

 
While the first sheet was drying, I used the same method to cut out the side sheets. 

 

 
Once the first sheet was dry, I moved on to the port & starboard sides of the bow. I was struggling to get the compound curve of the sheet to lay right, so I decided to trim off the forward curve and take a different approach to it. Here are the side sheets in place. 

I was still struggling with how to cover the bow and stern areas. At first I was going to try planking them both with 1/16" x 3/16" basswood strips, but it just wasn't working the way I wanted it to. So I started rethinking things and decided that I am going to cheat a bit and use body filler to get the general shape. On the bow side it is not so bad, just a few foam blocks to fill in most of the void and some basswood strips on the sides to get the correct height and I should be good to go.

 
The stern area is going to be a bit more difficult since there are numerous compounding curves to contend with. I will throw in a few filler blocks to take up some of the bigger areas, but I think this method will also work to get the general shape as well.

 
This was as far as I got before getting sick. I'm on the mend now and hopefully within the next few days I should be able to get more done and have better progress.
 
For now, thank you all for stopping by.
 
-Brian

Thank you Yves for the kind comments. I am using an XTool S1 laser engraver and the proprietary software that comes with it called XTool Creative Space. I have to say, it has opened up a whole new world of making model ship parts.
 
Funny that you say that. The guy that I am building this boat for read my last update and sent me a text message laughing about that very detail. My response was, "I don't miss details"  
 
 
-Brian

Hello again everyone,
 
I figure I had better get some progress shown on her or people may start to lose interest. It's not for lack of work being done on the Caroline, it's just laziness of not updating the build log. Since my last update a month ago I have been busy and I have been giving my XTool quite the workout.
 
So i was able to get all of the deck walls drawn up, cut out and assembled. These were real simple shapes to work with. The main roadblock that I kept running into was the window locations on each of the decks. I first located them all according to the plans, but then I started finding videos of the Titletown USA (Formerly The Caroline N) and discovered that the windows were not all located in the same location as the plans. So I had to do a lot of research of the videos to get the right angle so I could properly locate the windows. I did this by scrolling through the video to the right spot, pausing it and then taking a screen shot the image. I think it worked pretty well and I believe that I have all the windows and doors in their correct locations.
 
Once I felt confident that I had everything correct, it was on to getting the deck walls cut out and assembled.
 
Here is the main deck going together. I cutout some cross bracing and brackets to add some stability to the structure and to give the deck a stable mounting surface.



 
Second deck going together.


 
Pilothouse assembly





And all the deckhouses assembled and resting on the hull.

 
So I wanted to play around with some of the smaller detailed pieces, just to see how they would turn out. I started out with the window unit that sits in one of the galley windows. I assume that it gets a bit toasty in there when the cooks is preparing the crews meals.

I started with the five pieces that make up the unit. Apologies for the blurry picture, I phone had trouble focusing on the tiny pieces.

 
The assembled window unit.

 
I used one of the blanks from the window cutouts and glued the window unit to it for that perfect fit. Not too terrible.  

 
Next up, I wanted to work on the hull some and get the contour of the deck set. There is a slight rise in the bow and stern areas that I needed to build. I am assuming that the bow rise was to keep the waves from coming over as well as giving a higher surface area for contact with the barges. As for the aft rise, my best guess is that it just helps keep the churned up water from the props from coming over since this area can get a bit turbulent.
 
Profile of the boat showing the bow and stern rise.

Waters get pretty churned up at at the stern.

 
To add this rise, I cutout a bunch of basswood strips that tapered down from the full rise of 3mm at the stern to 0mm and from 4mm at the bow to 0mm. I glued these in place and then for the stern I cutout some plywood panels to raise the deck beyond the rise.


For the bow section, I just glued down the strips from the forward end of the deckhouse to the bow since the rise terminated at the very front.

Since the bow rise starts before the front of the deckhouse, I trimmed the strips back a bit to coincide with the front of the deckhouse. I thought this was easier than trying to trim the correct amount off the bottom of the deckhouse and maintain the correct angle without any gaps.
 
 
Next I wanted to play around some more with some of the deck details, and since I was on the AC unit kick, I figured why not build the main AC unit. This unit sits between the two funnels on top of the main deck. Kind of hard to make out since I had to zoom in quite a bit.

 
Once again, I drew up the pieces and added some details like the door panels and the protective grill that covers the fan blades.

Glued all the pieces together 

then added control and power boxes to the assembly. I'll get this painted up later on and add some drain lines and power conduits once it has been installed.

 
Now it was time to move on to building up the trim and railings for the upper decks. Starting with the second deck I added the forward railing bulkheads. The were cut from .020 ABS plastic sheets and formed around the deck curves with a heat gun.

I cut out the stanchions that support the panels and glued them all in place.


 
Next I did the same for the main deckhouse.



Then it was on to cutting more ABS strips to trim out the Texas deck.

Trim complete on the Texas Deck and the downspouts going in.

Once the trim was installed I gave each deck a shot of primer to help locate any flaws that need to be touched up. There are some and I will address those later.

The forward steps were built and added to the main deckhouse. I took pictures of the started construction, but forgot to snap some of it going in.

I wanted to add a bit of detail to the topside of the main deck. As you can see the weld lines of the steel panels is pretty visible on the next photo. I felt that since this is pretty open area I should go ahead and add this detail.

I started by marking off the panels where the welds should be.

Then I took some small thread and glued it down along the lines. This should provide a nice profile of the welds on the deck once everything is painted up. At least that's the theory, we'll see how it works out.


 
Then it was time to tackle on of the features that I have been dreading. The railings. Personally I feel the same way about railings and ladders as some people feel about rigging. 
 
So here we go.
 
I figured that brass rod would be the perfect thing to build the railings out of. Its sturdy, easy to bend and cut. So I started with the portside main deckhouse railing. I cut and shaped the top rail and the stanchions.

As I was working on this I was trying to figure out how I was going to hold the second rail pieces in place while I soldered the joints. So I drafted up a quick drawing of a jig that would help hold the cross pieces steady and level.

I measures out and drew up the pieces on the computer, then cut them out.


 
Assembled the pieces for the jig.
 
 
Then gave it a try.


Everything work as it should, with one exception. My soldering skills stink. I tried several times to get the joints straight and to get the solder to pull in correctly, but I'm not sure If I had the iron too hot or too cold, but it just wasn't working for me. I even tried using the solderless adhesive, designed for brass and copper.

 
So it was on to my next option. I tried cutting the railing out of basswood. These made perfect railings, but then I ran into another obstacle. Now I have to sand all the rails to get them rounded. Definitely not worth the trouble of having to sand each and every pipe to get it round, not to mention taking care not to snap the raining in half along the grain.

 
Attempt number three. Why not try making the railings from styrene rods? Styrene is easy to bend and cut and can be held together with CA. No soldering involved.

I'm thinking that I like this route better,

 
And the three attempts at my first railings.

 
I decided to take a break for the railings for a bit and focus my attention elsewhere. To give the windows some depth and detail, I cut some framing from some heavy card stock and applied them to the outsides of the windows. Once painted up they will and a nice little level of detail to the walls.


 
I wanted to finish up on the deck structures so I could get them all painted up and get a good Idea of what the boat was going to look like. So I worked on the pilothouse top.  Again, I drew up the pieces and cut them out. 

Got them assembled. I used some of my leftover risers from the main deck to get the slope of the roof.

 
I couldn't figure out how I was going to get the sloped sides of the roof. There are several compounding angles that would very difficult to cut out and shape. The outside edges are sloped a good bit and curve around with the corners as well as the top sloping backwards to shed the rainwater off.

 
So after scratching a bald spot on my head, pondering this quandary, I finally came up with a solution. I taped the top off to protect the stanchion holes from getting filled in.

and with some air dry putty that I had on hand, I figured I could shape the outer slope and sand it to shape once it had dried.

Well another failed attempt. I didn't take into consideration that the moisture content of the putty would cause the assembly to warp. I tried setting some heavy weights on top of it for a few days, but I couldn't get the warp out of it. So, I ran another set of pieces and glued them all together and this time I used body filler instead of putty. That worked better with no warpage.  Of course in my frustration I failed to take pictures of the body filler assembly.
 
While the body filler was drying I worked on more of the main deckhouse details and installed some of the manhole covers.

Finally after a good sanding and a shot of primer on the whole assembly, this is where I am at. 

 
It's all starting to take shape. Upcoming work, I need to get the deckhouses painted up white and work on the hull. I want to get the props, Kort nozzles and rudders in place and the hull painted up so I can get it mounted to it's base. Those will be some updates for my next installment.
 
Thank you all for stopping by!
 
-Brian
 
 
 
 
 
 

Now, this is impressive. Its one thing to design a hull on CAD, but these complex shapes like brake handle and gear selector or the gearbox, this is on another level! 
Hope all go well with your health.
 
Vaddoc
 

Dear all
 
Paint has been splashed onto wood, so time for another update.
Also, as this boat is approaching completion (in my time, this means less than a year), I ve been thinking about the next one. I have some thoughts involving multiple masts, we ll see...
 
In any case, I decided to do some caulking on the deck. I do not think it needs it and almost certainly it is historically inaccurate but this boat from the beginning was about having fun and cutting (some) corners for speed. I ll use Osmo filler mixed with black acrylic paint. This needs Tung oil to shine black but maple does not take well to Tung oil, needs to be sealed first or will come out very blotchy.
 
So floors came out again and were sealed with my favorite Americana Decoart water based sealer (I dislike Shellac)

Of course the hull needed some more attention again.


The floors were covered with masking tape.

Then put back in place, all screws replaced with wood nails, sanded smooth

Then the mixture was slapped on!

Wait until dry

Then sanded off

Tape off, Tung oil on - done! 

It is not perfect by any stretch but it is done! 
And now it is time to paint the hull! Lots of masking done (which immediately failed)
 

Then I sprayed some Humbrol grey primer. The photo really did not get the color well!


Then the waterline was marked and the hull masked further

I used grey primer because I intended to use Humbrol enamels. At the last moment I decided to use acrylics, completely different colors. This is why enamels are dead.
 
So first coat of Valejo Ivory is brushed on. It looks dreadful:

And yes as expected, the hull is moving again! 


And after 5 more coats, still looks terrible!


It will get better. Maybe I should have used enamels!
 
I am almost certain the waterline will mess up the whole paint job. I will try and tuck the masking tape down well but I am sure the red paint will find a way underneath. We ll see
 
Till next time, take care all
 
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
Paint has been splashed onto wood, so time for another update.
Also, as this boat is approaching completion (in my time, this means less than a year), I ve been thinking about the next one. I have some thoughts involving multiple masts, we ll see...
 
In any case, I decided to do some caulking on the deck. I do not think it needs it and almost certainly it is historically inaccurate but this boat from the beginning was about having fun and cutting (some) corners for speed. I ll use Osmo filler mixed with black acrylic paint. This needs Tung oil to shine black but maple does not take well to Tung oil, needs to be sealed first or will come out very blotchy.
 
So floors came out again and were sealed with my favorite Americana Decoart water based sealer (I dislike Shellac)

Of course the hull needed some more attention again.


The floors were covered with masking tape.

Then put back in place, all screws replaced with wood nails, sanded smooth

Then the mixture was slapped on!

Wait until dry

Then sanded off

Tape off, Tung oil on - done! 

It is not perfect by any stretch but it is done! 
And now it is time to paint the hull! Lots of masking done (which immediately failed)
 

Then I sprayed some Humbrol grey primer. The photo really did not get the color well!


Then the waterline was marked and the hull masked further

I used grey primer because I intended to use Humbrol enamels. At the last moment I decided to use acrylics, completely different colors. This is why enamels are dead.
 
So first coat of Valejo Ivory is brushed on. It looks dreadful:

And yes as expected, the hull is moving again! 


And after 5 more coats, still looks terrible!


It will get better. Maybe I should have used enamels!
 
I am almost certain the waterline will mess up the whole paint job. I will try and tuck the masking tape down well but I am sure the red paint will find a way underneath. We ll see
 
Till next time, take care all
 
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
A bit of progress but a also a bit of a milestone: The deck is done! Still needs lots of work, treenails, sanding, caulking etc but the arrangement seems ok - I hope in the end it will look more tidy. The wood is maple but has a different color than the maple used for the inner planking. One of the planks aft stands out as, not sure where I cut it from but it needs to be replaced.






Take care all
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
Paint has been splashed onto wood, so time for another update.
Also, as this boat is approaching completion (in my time, this means less than a year), I ve been thinking about the next one. I have some thoughts involving multiple masts, we ll see...
 
In any case, I decided to do some caulking on the deck. I do not think it needs it and almost certainly it is historically inaccurate but this boat from the beginning was about having fun and cutting (some) corners for speed. I ll use Osmo filler mixed with black acrylic paint. This needs Tung oil to shine black but maple does not take well to Tung oil, needs to be sealed first or will come out very blotchy.
 
So floors came out again and were sealed with my favorite Americana Decoart water based sealer (I dislike Shellac)

Of course the hull needed some more attention again.


The floors were covered with masking tape.

Then put back in place, all screws replaced with wood nails, sanded smooth

Then the mixture was slapped on!

Wait until dry

Then sanded off

Tape off, Tung oil on - done! 

It is not perfect by any stretch but it is done! 
And now it is time to paint the hull! Lots of masking done (which immediately failed)
 

Then I sprayed some Humbrol grey primer. The photo really did not get the color well!


Then the waterline was marked and the hull masked further

I used grey primer because I intended to use Humbrol enamels. At the last moment I decided to use acrylics, completely different colors. This is why enamels are dead.
 
So first coat of Valejo Ivory is brushed on. It looks dreadful:

And yes as expected, the hull is moving again! 


And after 5 more coats, still looks terrible!


It will get better. Maybe I should have used enamels!
 
I am almost certain the waterline will mess up the whole paint job. I will try and tuck the masking tape down well but I am sure the red paint will find a way underneath. We ll see
 
Till next time, take care all
 
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
Paint has been splashed onto wood, so time for another update.
Also, as this boat is approaching completion (in my time, this means less than a year), I ve been thinking about the next one. I have some thoughts involving multiple masts, we ll see...
 
In any case, I decided to do some caulking on the deck. I do not think it needs it and almost certainly it is historically inaccurate but this boat from the beginning was about having fun and cutting (some) corners for speed. I ll use Osmo filler mixed with black acrylic paint. This needs Tung oil to shine black but maple does not take well to Tung oil, needs to be sealed first or will come out very blotchy.
 
So floors came out again and were sealed with my favorite Americana Decoart water based sealer (I dislike Shellac)

Of course the hull needed some more attention again.


The floors were covered with masking tape.

Then put back in place, all screws replaced with wood nails, sanded smooth

Then the mixture was slapped on!

Wait until dry

Then sanded off

Tape off, Tung oil on - done! 

It is not perfect by any stretch but it is done! 
And now it is time to paint the hull! Lots of masking done (which immediately failed)
 

Then I sprayed some Humbrol grey primer. The photo really did not get the color well!


Then the waterline was marked and the hull masked further

I used grey primer because I intended to use Humbrol enamels. At the last moment I decided to use acrylics, completely different colors. This is why enamels are dead.
 
So first coat of Valejo Ivory is brushed on. It looks dreadful:

And yes as expected, the hull is moving again! 


And after 5 more coats, still looks terrible!


It will get better. Maybe I should have used enamels!
 
I am almost certain the waterline will mess up the whole paint job. I will try and tuck the masking tape down well but I am sure the red paint will find a way underneath. We ll see
 
Till next time, take care all
 
Vaddoc

Mast steps are not complicated, but struggling with pattern transfer. 
Feeling like I miss some obvious tricks? Even thought about making a miniature duplicator tool with toothpicks instead of metal pins
Would appreciate your advice!
 
First I tried to make patterns like on a full scale - by gluing small rectangles on a piece of card. That way works great for real boats, but is very awkward and potentially messy on a small scale.
But I like that tiny plastic vernier gauge! Got a few of those to measure spacing inside the hull without scratching it.

 
Then I just traced a frame pattern on a piece of card and eyeballed the other side. That is less complicated than I thought, but takes a lot of fine tuning (counter light helps too). But feels like an art rather than a reliable and repeatable method.
Though should admit - trimming and cutting card is quite satisfying!
Is that how everyone is doing it or is there is an easy way?   

Practicing the quiet modelling (in preparation for the evening sessions) - tried a coping saw instead of a bandsaw. The dust extraction problem solved itself, vacuum hose fits perfectly between the clamps:

Finally - the rough pear blanks are cut and I hope to shape them into beautiful parts in the upcoming days! 
I really aint much, but a little symbolic step towards the healthy hobby routine

Lots and lots of info on MSW, some dedicated threads as well, a wealth of info.
Test on scrap wood, not the model!
I would however suggest to buy good brushes straight away - System 3 if still around are great
 
Modern paints are so good that with a bit of practice and attention you ll have excellent results
 
Vaddoc

@allanyed This is it pretty much Allan. Actually the hole left when the screw is removed is smaller and can even be filled with a smaller 0.7 mm wood nail dipped in PVA (or copper or brass wire dipped in CA which is a much faster process). 

Lots and lots of info on MSW, some dedicated threads as well, a wealth of info.
Test on scrap wood, not the model!
I would however suggest to buy good brushes straight away - System 3 if still around are great
 
Modern paints are so good that with a bit of practice and attention you ll have excellent results
 
Vaddoc

I use 1 mm screws which I then replace with wooden nails. In the past I ve used brass wire dipped in CA glue. All planks in all of my models are fastened this way - no plank is glued.
Once I thought of threading brass wire and using it without glue but the amount of work needed would be far too huge.

In my experience, there is a world of difference between cheap and higher end CA glue.
An issue to consider with any glue is the degree of contact between the mating surfaces. PVA needs excellent contact and pressure, not always possible with planks. CA just a bit of contact as it is incredibly strong. Thickened epoxy will bridge any gap but is very messy. Expanding glues like the amber Gorilla one are even messier. I would not trust contact cement for this task. Hide glue I have no experience with.
If I was gluing planks to frames I d probably go for CA. Have debonder at hand though to detach your finger from your eyelid!

@allanyed This is it pretty much Allan. Actually the hole left when the screw is removed is smaller and can even be filled with a smaller 0.7 mm wood nail dipped in PVA (or copper or brass wire dipped in CA which is a much faster process). 

@allanyed This is it pretty much Allan. Actually the hole left when the screw is removed is smaller and can even be filled with a smaller 0.7 mm wood nail dipped in PVA (or copper or brass wire dipped in CA which is a much faster process). 

@allanyed This is it pretty much Allan. Actually the hole left when the screw is removed is smaller and can even be filled with a smaller 0.7 mm wood nail dipped in PVA (or copper or brass wire dipped in CA which is a much faster process). 

In my experience, there is a world of difference between cheap and higher end CA glue.
An issue to consider with any glue is the degree of contact between the mating surfaces. PVA needs excellent contact and pressure, not always possible with planks. CA just a bit of contact as it is incredibly strong. Thickened epoxy will bridge any gap but is very messy. Expanding glues like the amber Gorilla one are even messier. I would not trust contact cement for this task. Hide glue I have no experience with.
If I was gluing planks to frames I d probably go for CA. Have debonder at hand though to detach your finger from your eyelid!

I use 1 mm screws which I then replace with wooden nails. In the past I ve used brass wire dipped in CA glue. All planks in all of my models are fastened this way - no plank is glued.
Once I thought of threading brass wire and using it without glue but the amount of work needed would be far too huge.

I use 1 mm screws which I then replace with wooden nails. In the past I ve used brass wire dipped in CA glue. All planks in all of my models are fastened this way - no plank is glued.
Once I thought of threading brass wire and using it without glue but the amount of work needed would be far too huge.

Dear all
 
A bit of progress but a also a bit of a milestone: The deck is done! Still needs lots of work, treenails, sanding, caulking etc but the arrangement seems ok - I hope in the end it will look more tidy. The wood is maple but has a different color than the maple used for the inner planking. One of the planks aft stands out as, not sure where I cut it from but it needs to be replaced.






Take care all
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
A bit of progress but a also a bit of a milestone: The deck is done! Still needs lots of work, treenails, sanding, caulking etc but the arrangement seems ok - I hope in the end it will look more tidy. The wood is maple but has a different color than the maple used for the inner planking. One of the planks aft stands out as, not sure where I cut it from but it needs to be replaced.






Take care all
Vaddoc

Thank you John and Nils
@Mark Pearse Mark, the wood is already sealed inside and out! It has reduced the movement but not completely. Maple that I ve used in the past, does not move at all. Isn't boat building fun!
 
Vaddoc

Dear all
 
A bit of progress but a also a bit of a milestone: The deck is done! Still needs lots of work, treenails, sanding, caulking etc but the arrangement seems ok - I hope in the end it will look more tidy. The wood is maple but has a different color than the maple used for the inner planking. One of the planks aft stands out as, not sure where I cut it from but it needs to be replaced.






Take care all
Vaddoc