ulrich

Greetings, I did get some work completed on the ELCO this weekend.  I've started to install the small deck fittings along with the torpedo tube turntables.  Below is a photo of some of the bow deck mountings, the other to shots of the boat are with the assembled parts setting loose on the deck.
 
Cheers, Tim
 

 

 

So I have spent more than 100 hours making mistakes so far. I have finished, more or less, the hull and rails. Many of the white areas you see is my skin after gluing the model to myself. I have learnt so far that the instructions on this model are quite limited. Paraphrasing they say 'look at the pictures and build ship'. Well I've spent agonising hours looking at the pictures and prayed it would build itself. I've never made a model of anything in my life, unless you count Lego and it is intimidating especially when you see what masterpieces people build.
 
The planking was a nightmare. I didn't know at the time how to bend the wood and didn't understand that I needed to shape anything and learnt by trial and error what glue worked best. I literally started with some cold glue, an old Stanley knife and a file. Now I have a dremmel tool, multiple files and knives and sand paper and a magnifying glass and a glue factory.
 
The shop keeper said it was for a beginner. Perhaps a raft would have been better to start with.... Anyway, onwards!

Hi Ed,
I've noticed the changes in photos. In MacGregor's Book  there are some good photos. YA is there changed to the closer mast doublings done by putting a sort of dogleg to clear the shrouds, and iron mast caps. I don't remember if she had been switched to bullseyes for upper shrouds or not.  I have 3 different plans of 3 different ships done by Crothers and the differences are interesting.
 
I found it at only one small RR business They are the only place I found it in 10 foot bulk packs, everyone sells it by the foot. I'll look up their name and post it later or e mail it you. I found that for Lifghtning I needed more than 9 feet.
 
Enlarge the case...it really brings home the size of these ships doesn't it. I read somewhere that one could build two 74 gun ships with the timber it took to build some of the big clippers.
 
Shop foreman shown below.   winking.

As soon as the ratlines are done I will mount the davits and boats. Braces go over this area so I think it's time to put them on. Another thing to catch a finger on...
 
I have no pictures yet but I'm doing the ratlines. I quickly learned to use tape wrapped around the tweezers to limit the amount they open. They would damage the work when they opened.
 
For doing work shaping blocks I modified a set of tweezers. A lot of blocks are tiny at this scale. Some smaller than a grain of rice.  I'll try to remember to take a picture of them.
 
All the photos for a bit. I've a brass Fairfield coal drag conveyor and a stock pen to build to bring some money in. It kills me to have to take time off from the Lightning. I'll keep an eye though to reply to anyone.
 
Bruce

A look at the overall project. It's such a relief to be able to button up my model safely in the temporary case. You might notice that the ship is mounted on it's base at this point. It was time for the stability and safety of being fixed in place. The supports on the side are blackened brass. I experimented with different looks for this and settled on the simplest way. The model will need to be shipped a long way and need this stability. 

The bow is complete. Notice the different size chain. The chain was difficult to size so that there was no slack. I did this by removing links and adjusting the bullseyes.
 
I bumped the chain with a finger and it went slack....pre stretch the chain first!
 
Bruce

Hi,

Time for an update.  The first planking continues.  The bottom of the hull is complete and I am now working on the top.  I’m looking forward to sanding and the second planking.  Walter

 



 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Build log part 2
 
 
I know it sounds strange to start making the propellers where the hull is not even on the slipway, but I was wondering if I could make them from brass, as they are a typical detail, in the way they were designed 118 years ago......., and as I`ve never seen such model props on the model market, it would be a pitty if I had to fit regular model brass props
 
 

 
I fell in love with these elegant stern lines, designed for speed
 
 

 
here some of the detail parts, in total there are 38 to be made single parts per prop, port- and stb. props rotate counterclockwise with appr. blade twists
 
 

 
raw hub with mounted, drilled and slotted calottes to take up the blades. The slot orientation is set with card template angle jig. The hub raw material is 8 mm squarebar, with centerline boring and M3 thread
 
 

 
blades soldered on and brushed over, the soldering per gas tourch was quite tricky
 
 

 
started to fit the resembled blade fastening bolts with distance sleeves and hexagonal dome nuts. Here six bolts (in actual would be 8 or 10, but that was to tricky for me to drill at that scale...
 
 

 
The actual props had a diam. of 6800 mm, resulting in 47,2 mm model scale 1:144
 
 

 
without bolts....
 
 

 
with bolts
 
 

 
the first prop took me 2 days to make, the second 1,5 day (learncurve)
 
 

 
here original design drawing with 3-blade hub
 
 
Nils
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hi friends,
many thanks for the comments and Likes.
 
 
 
Unfortunately, a picture with three model segments of the BHR is not possible together.
Every model segment is for itself in a seperate glass cabinet / protective bonnet and
stand on different places.
Here, however, some pictures of my private ship model -museum.
 
Karl 

Hi everyone

I stumbled apon this when trying to think of a way to make the mouse on the mast stays look realistic without having to weave the cover to get that knittled look. Here is a photo of the actual mouse for the Endeavour replica vessel




I am using rope from Syren Model Ship Co for the stay, it is cable laid four strand rope.

First I worm the rope on my Domanoff serving machine. I'm using black cotton so its easy to distinguish during the worming process, (the stays will be painted black later to simulate the tar)




The rope is then served just beyond where the mouse will be



The eye is formed by unpicking the ends of the rope, gluing them down to simulate a splice



Then it is served over the splice



The mouse is made by drilling a hole in a piece of dowel. The dowel is sanded to a cone shape on the end then cut off and sanded to shape and slipped onto the rope.




The create the woven effect over the mouse I am using a flexible cloth wound dressing, its self adhesive so very easy to attach.







The lower part is served. A little bit of PVA glue on the join will stop the self adhesive letting go in the future.



The completed stay

Hello friends,
 
construction end of the model.
Originally, the model was planed with a complete main mast
and complete rigging.
Massive objections and pressure through my admiralty and government
with regard to the enormous size of the display case required an
amendment to the plan.
 
Karl 
 
 
T e i l  59    /   Ende

Hi friends,
 
Completion of the main mast
 
with shrouds and ratlines.
 
Karl   
 
 
 
T e i l   5 8

A little more progress - chainplates mounted. The kit deadeye strops were made from wire bot the strops on the real ship are flat bars so I modified them. I filled the gap with epoxy & then filed it smooth to look like a flat bar. I must thank Michael (md1400cs) for this idea. I think they came out pretty good.
 

 

 

 
Thanks for all the looks & likes / Mark

Hello everyone!
Another update from me. I know it tooks me a long time to do the planking of the left side of my victory. But I have to say that I am quite happy with the result. What do you think about it?
 
The challange will be to build the other side similar to it. If I don´t get it I can still  copper it...
 
 

Build log part 9
 
 
 
this is the last part of this build,
 
although the are some Little things I would like to add, or to Change next time I open the glass case
 
 
 

I was quite happy that the glass case fitted exactly on the wardrobe it is Standing on
 

the brass data plate is fitted within the case
 

Impression of the plating bow area
 

and Stern area
 
 

this Position is concentrating, nearly interfearing on railing, funnel stay, steering chain, Davit tackle, but all is properly fastend to it own tackle point
 

foredeck is a nice Meeting place for Young couples
 

 
 

foreseen anchoring place
 

the depth marking is made with regular Mirosoft Excel and to be printed out on one side adhesive transparent foil, or on Photopaper. Shall save this up to the next opening of the glass case, when the sternlight is also to be changed from green to White.
 
 
 
I hope the presentation of my Bohuslän build log was liked, even though the framing, planking and hull building was not shown in this case due to lack of photos
 
Auf wiedersehen
 
Nils

Build log part 8
 
 

the horizontal steering Segment is made from a clockwheel of on old mantel clock. Belaying clamps on lower deck railing fitted
 

Sven is just inspecting the starboard inflatable liferaft Containment. Here for Popeye..., slotted turnbuckles for the aft mast shrouds
 

Davit and lifeboat rigging, wooden oar sets to the boats
 

Position of the stairway from lower deck to bridgedeck. Right bottom Corner... the drainpipe opening on deck
 

here the steering chain leaving the wheelhouse can be better seen
 
 

the upper deck was designed in the way that the stair and its rail as well as the entrance (door and its Frame stay Standing when the comlpete upperdeck is removed. Because I made a static model of it the upper deck is now fixed on with two small hidden screws
 

the riveting gives the real 1914 look... to the hull
 
 
 
 
Build log part 9 (last part) tofollow with next post....
 
Nils

here are some examples....on contemporary models.
 

 

Hi,
 
Stays lanyards on VOC Batavia ,HMS Victory and HMS Warrior  .
 
Tadeusz

S.M.S. WESPE (HENK, 1895)
 
History and context
The WESPE-Class armoured gun-boats of the then young Imperial German Navy were born out of a tactical concept that dated well back into the Napoleonic era. The idea was to mount a heavy long-range gun onto a highly mobile small craft that would be able to retire into shallow coastal waters, beyond the range of even the heavy artillery of an attacking fleet. The addition of a steam engine and the increase in calibre followed the development of the time, of course. Adding heavy armour to the front (mainly) was meant to give the gun-boats a certain attacking capability. It also owes something to the floating batteries used in the defence of Copenhagen during the Napoleonic wars and to the armoured floating batteries used by the allied French/British forces during the Crimean War (1854-55). In fact, adding armour plating to a (rowing) gunboat was already proposed as early as the late 18th century in Spain, as documented by a model in the Museo Naval in Madrid, but apparently never put to work in full scale.
 

S.M.S. WESPE, brand-new and still without the 30.5 cm gun (1875)
 
At the time of the conception of the WESPE-class in the early 1870s a former cavalry(!) general was the naval chief-of-staff in Germany. The tactical dogma was ‘proactive defence’: an attacking enemy was to be awaited near home waters and fenced off. The main threat was seen in amphibian operations attacking the German coast. Thus, the landing of troops at strategic points had to be prevented. Long-range strategic and oceanic operations were out of the scope of the German naval planners of the time. There was a certain logic in this, as Germany, unlike Britain, is/was a more or less land-locked country and largely self-sufficient in many respects at that time. Overseas trade then did not have such an importance as in Britain or as in later globalising economies. Therefore, attempts to severe overseas supply chains was not so relevant. There was, indeed, active resistance from trade interest groups, particularly the merchants in the cities of Hamburg and Bremen, to a navy that would engage itself overseas. These merchants relied on their network of friendly contacts and on sailing under a neutral flag.
Hence, the WESPE-Class was designed to be mainly a heavily armoured gun-platform, giving long-range protection to the tidal North Sea harbours that are surrounded by mud-flats and to give mobile protection to the deep fjords of Schleswig-Holstein's Baltic coast. They would be backed-up by heavy artillery (and later fixed torpedo batteries) in coastal forts.
The guns in such boats usually could only be trained by turning the whole boat. This seems more difficult then it probably was, because even in the old days of the rowing gunboats they would attack by rowing in a wide circle and when the intended target passed through the line of aim, one would fire. As the WESPE-Class was designed to let themselves fall dry on mud-flats, a possibility to train the gun itself was needed.
This distinguished the WESPE-class from earlier boats of similar design in Britain, namely the ANT-, GADFLY-, and BOUNCER-class of the 1860s. Man other navies took up the same concept and there were examples in the Danish, Dutch, French, Norwegian, Spanish, and even the Argentinian navy. Some of the were armoured, while other were still constructed from wood or composite.
 

S.M.S. WESPE under construction (HENK, 1895)
 
Technical Description
The WESPE-class comprised ten boats delivered in two batches between 1876 and 1880: WESPE (1876), VIPER, BIENE, MÜCKE, SCORPION, BASILISK, CAMAELEON, CROCODILL, SALAMANDER and NATTER. They were all built by A.G. Weser in Bremen. With a length of 46.4 m and a beam of 10.65 m they had a dead weight of 1157 t, drawing 3.37 m. The dimensions vary somewhat according to source, but this may be due to different reference points, such as length overall compared to length between the perpendicles etc.
Two inclined double-expansion engines on two propellers gave a maximum speed of 11 knots. Their original complement was 3 officers and 73 crew. Steering was from a stand on the hut and an emergency double steering wheel abaft. Very early on they were also retrofitted with an electrical generator.
The WESPE-class were the first German warships (and indeed among the first of any warship) that did completely without auxiliary sails. As the consequence they only had a light mast for signalling. In spite of sporting quite some leading edge technology, they were only of limited seaworthiness and their handling was far from perfect. This resulted in them being given a collection of rather unfavourable nicknames. They were also not very popular with their crews and officers due to the cramped conditions below decks, but then they were not meant for long voyages in the open sea.
 

Admiralty illustrative drawing (before 1883)
 
Armament
The main armament was a single 30.5 cm rifled breech-loading gun designed and manufactured by Alfred Krupp AG in Essen. At the time the WESPE-class boats were designed, fast torpedo-boats did not exist yet – the automotive fish-torpedo was just being developed. When in the mid-1880s small torpedo-boats became a tactical reality, some form of self-defence against them was necessary and two bronce(!) 8.7 cm/l24 breech-loading guns in ‘disappearing’ carriage and two 37 mm Hotchkiss revolving guns came on board. In fact, very early on (1883) also two 35 cm underwater torpedo launching tubes were installed to increase the attacking capabilities.
 

Instruction model for the Rk 30.5/l22 on the Danish HELGOLAND in the Orlogsmuseet Copenhagen on a carriage similar to that of the WESPE-Class
 
Scale
The scale chosen for the model is 1/160, which admittedly is somewhat unusual for a ship model. However, the reasoning behind this choice was that a large selection of N-scale railway figures is available that eventually will crew the ship. There are also space and portability consideration, which are important for someone, who has to move from time to time for professional reasons.
The model will be a waterline model. This will allow a scenic presentation of the finished model. Besides, the hull below the waterline is not quite so graceful. Above the waterline the hull is also more or less prismatic, with vertical bulwarks and virtually no sheer. These parameters together call for a bread-and-butter construction.
 

Artist’s impression of a WESPE-Class gunboat (1891)
 
Sources
Owing to the loss of most of the archival material from the former Admiralty Drawing Office during and after the end of WW2, detailed source material is rather scant. Some lithographed drawings that must have been made before the major refit in 1883 have survived and serve as a basis for the reconstruction. The Bundesarchiv/Militärarchiv in Freiburg i.B. has some drawings, but unfortunatelly they only pertain to a much later refit of S.M.S. NATTER. However, the WESPE-Class was a bit of a novelty at its time and some Detaildrawings of bothm the ship and the armament, have found their way into textbooks of the time. Relatively recently a very detailed original drawing of the gun became available on the Internet from a private collection (www.dreadnoughtproject.org). Historic photographs from the early days of the ships are quite rare and mostly of not so good quality, but some reasonably good ones from the end of their active life have survived.
Based on the information that was available in the 1980s Wolfgang Bohlayer drew and published a plan of S.M.S. WESPE as she might have looked like after the major refit in 1883 (available from VTH, http://shop.vth.de/wespe-1876.html). Based on the information available today, this plan would need to be revised in some details.
The available information is summarised on the page on the WESPE-class on my Web-site: http://www.wefalck.eu/mm/maritime/models/wespe/wespeclass.html
 
To be continued ...

Boat looks nice.
 
If you don't leave some of your DNA on your model you aren't doing it right.

Hi Reuben 
Looks pretty good to me - for a rookie, I think you are doing very well !
Keep up the good work !
Don

Having a bit of fun with the pasta machine and an old rat

Adding the keel, limber board and the first foot walling

Patrick,
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind works. This being my first scratch build I am happy with how the planking has turned out. But the pictures do not show everything, there are gaps at the edges and some of the planks did not lay as flat as they should. The plank thicknesses are not uniform, so I have had to soften the edges of some with a chisel blade or else they would be trip hazard.
 
I am also working at 1:24 scale, not the small scale you work at. Patrick, your planking on that scale is amazing. 1:24 scale has some advantages. I believe the gaps are not as obvious as they are in smaller scales. The drawback I am finding, is that a lot of the detail that can be omitted at the smaller scale, would be noticed if missing at 1:24 scale. When I started I figured I could get this done in about a year. I have been working on this for 7 months (I did take 2 months off over the summer, so say 5 months actual working). I think I will be doing good to have started the deck planking when 1 year rolls around.
 
I am trying to plan out long term, so I will not have to rush to get supplies when I need them. There are several items that will need to scratch built.
Windlass Stove Coffee Pot ( You can't go to sea without Coffee) Winder (Dredging Winch) Dredge Rollers Oyster Dredge Dredge A-Frame Steering Mechanism 2 Lanterns Running Lights I have been on the look out for Items that would be useful in building those parts. I believe my best find was some decorative gears at the local Michaels Craft Store. I have picked up 2 sizes of wooden barrels, fish hooks with straight shanks and some assorted brass.

Hopefully I can use some of the gears in the winder and the windlass.

Hi Everyone,
Well I spent the past 3 days planking the Ceiling Floor in the hold and the forward cabin. Next I think I am going to finish the deck beams and the forward cabin bulkhead and bunks. I need to stat planning for paining as well. I want to paint the interior before I glue the deck beams on. Ben Lankford in his book stated that the interior of the boats were painted grey. I would have thought the interior would have been white to reflect as much light as possible. I guess I will look for a light grey. I have not decided weather to paint the interior by brush or airbrush. When I have been around wooden boats the interior seems to have had a buildup of paint on all of the surfaces. I am planning on airbrushing the hull.