Bob Cleek

I suppose that's how 'builder's models' in the old days often were treated.

Just catching up - enjoying seeing the thought processes and problem solving, always a pleasure to learn from you.
I like the 'dunking' method. It is extrodinary how even the hardest wood becomes pliable with heat. 
I recently used a silicon heating pad (e.g shown below) for bending the sides of a guitar body. 
I've learnt that it's the heat rather than the water that softens the lignin and makes the wood malleable, although soaking the part in water seems to help.
The part is wrapped in foil then the blanket placed on top. the whole is sandwiched between a shaped mould and heated then left to cool. the silicon conforms to quite tight bends.
Mine has a thermostat and temp controller but not really necessary for smaller parts. I plan to use it for planking in my build, so offer it as a possible option for experimentation. It is very controllable, and super efficient.

These come in various lengths and this short one at £10 or so is a useful addition to the shop.

The Model Shipways dory kit instructions may be useful: MS1470 Dory instructions.pdf (modelexpo-online.com)
 
Here's a very good build log of the Model Shipway's kit: A True Novice Build of the Lowell Grand Banks Dory.docx (modelexpo-online.com)
 
Even if you do locate a copy of the old Midwest plans, these Model Shipways plans and build log will be helpful supplements. If you do locate a copy of the old Midwest plans, I expect they will be rather sketchy if they are like other Midwest plans I've seen. This is not a criticism of the kit, mind you, but rather a function of the times.  Instructions have improved greatly over the years, though even now some could use improvement.

Bob:
I think they are virtually identical from Midwest to Model Shipways.  Have compared one of the newer kits manual against one of the older manuals and while I didn't read every word a quick scan shows they look identical.   I wrote a series of articles in Ships in Scale magazine starting in mid 2000 through mid 2006 meant to be a how to get started and progress to being an accomplished modeler (Series was done at the request of Clay Feldman the owner and publisher of Ships in Scale).  I found the instructions in this series of Midwest kits to be very good especially compared to anything imported at that time.
The older series of kits from Midwest have a feature that I hope Model Shipways will add back in is a ranking of the kit's difficulty.  They ranked the various kits as Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the rankings in my opinion were right on.
Take care,
Kurt

If you are referring to the product in the original post, that appears to be the OcCre cabinet which can be found on MicroMark's website.
 
OcCre® Workshop Cabinet – Micro-Mark (micromark.com)
 
While it looks nice and tidy, if you plan on spending any length of time in this hobby, I would think you would outgrow this cabinet pretty quickly with more.... STUFF!  I know I have! 👍🤣

It really depends on the purpose and what kind of effect you try to achieve. Any of them can work.
 
However, I am not sure about bitumen on a model … the same effect can be achieved with dyes or washes of paint.

Well you don't want the nails to protrude like rivet heads.  You're doing so well....don't make that mistake.
 
Rob

Hi Navarcus
Memory may not serve here, but from what I do recall from my marine engineering courses the type of engine had nothing to do with the diameter of the propellors.   I sailed on steam ships as well as diesel propulsion with prop diameters up to about 19 feet.  The azipods found on today's ships are upwards of 20 feet in diameter as well. There is a practical limit on the diameter no matter the type of propulsion which is possibly one of the reasons larger ships have multiple props.  
Allan

Angel,
It looks like your prop is in the wrong place or the diameter is too large.  Is it possible to relocate the propellor shaft or go with a smaller diameter prop?  Also, you can add a piece similar to the sketch below although it is probably not a good solution.  If the ship had a wooden keel then this would work well and could also take a false keel across the entire length of the ship as well.  
Can you tell us which vessel this is?
Thanks
Allan

The Crew boards S.M.S. WESPE
 
With all the crew members being painted, they were place at their foreseen duty stations. They were attached with tiny drops of Vallejo acrylic matt varnish. The pictures below show their disposition.




Final touch-ups
 
In case I had to remove the model from its base for whatever reason, it had only be screwed down, but the slight gap between the hull and modelled sea had not been filled with acrylic gel yet. Now with the model almost completed, this was done.
 

I also gave it a very light weathering at certain places. For instance, the top of the smoke stack was lightly dusted with black pastel. White and grey pastel indicated the areas where the ash would have dropped out of the ash-chutes into the sea. Some grey pastel was also applied to certain parts of the hull to break somewhat the uniform black and enhance the visibility of surface structures.
 
  
 
Raising the Ensign
 
Now, being ready to go to sea, the ensign was raised, meaning the flagstaff was installed. This being extremely delicate, it was left as very last step.
 
With this the model is in principle finished after a journey of nearly 18 years. I just checked: the first photographs were taken on 1 October 2006. There have been considerable interruptions, such as the move from the Netherlands to Paris. I also built the model of the Zuiderzee-botter in between and spent considerable time on constructing workshop tools and machinery.
 


However, before screwing down the glass-case the above photographs also serve to check the model for any imperfections that can still be addressed at this point. Paint may have to be touched up etc. This is more visible on 2D images, than on the real thing. Once this is done, some ‘glamour shots’ will be taken before the glass-case makes this more difficult.
There are certainly things that I wish had turned out better. This includes the rigging, which is taught or following catena-curves as I had planned. Making things to scale-size also makes them at the chosen scale rather flimsy with limitations to adjustment possibilities. This is even more the case with ‘modern’ ships in metal and with metal parts, where parts have to be thin and small, compared to those on wooden ships of old. Sometimes, these problems also arose due to a lack of foresight on my side.

What next?
 
Well, the follow-on project is mentally already almost completed (one of several), but the workshop needs first a good tidying up, cleaning, and re-organisation. Something that had been neglected actually for several years during the drive to complete SMS WESPE. Some machinery also needs a bit TLC to be ready for the next project. There are also a couple of small tool projects that I want to undertake, but I may start those only, once I have started the new ship project.
 

Anytime anyone mentions a steam donkey, I have to point out that John Dolbeer invented it for yarding redwood logs in my native Humboldt County, California.
 

Photo via The Humboldt Historian

And for additional points in the game of nautical Trivial Pursuit, the "nips" of small line tying the messenger and cable together were progressively untied and moved as the cable was hauled aboard by the messenger. This menial task was assigned to the ship's boys, hence the common usage of the term "little nippers" to affectionately describe young boys.  
 

I decided to purchase the 'Kindle' version. While I typically prefer hard copies of books, my bookshelves are now all overloaded because of that desire. I have books lying flat atop of 'other' books that are properly standing upright in my bookcases. Old age and a lifetime of collecting has finally caught up with me. I'm now forced to join the 'digital' age in order to keep collecting books *sigh*. That's okay, I guess, as information is just that no matter what form it comes in... but I'm having a hard time accepting it. A hard copy book has tangible physical characteristics, a nice-looking cover, pages that one can slip a bookmark in between... and also a distinct 'smell' that I find to grow more and more pleasant as a book continues to age. Computer books have none of that kind of character. They are nothing but electron blips on a plastic screen! 😔     
 
I'll give it a review, of sorts, once I've gone over its content.

Yes a zinc blend. They are delicate in order to break sacrificially, rather than have the rest of your lathe break, if a problem occurs. Head stock gears and housings, or the cross slide internals, are a lot harder to replace, if a tool jams in the work. Still they will last a long time in service, as long as this does not occur. When adjusting them, place a piece of paper between each gear and the next, then tighten the mounting bolt. If you run them closely meshed they will wear quickly. The slop will not mater during cutting, as the slack will be taken up when you start the cut. Repeatability is the watchword. As long as everything works the same each time, great precision in gear mesh makes no difference.
 
I highly recommend buying the Atlas lathe manual. While it is written for the larger lathe, the functions all scale.

Thank you very much, gentlemen, for your kind feedback !
***********************************************************
 
More Crew
 
While dispositioning the crew according to the envisages story-board - the crew undergoes some gun drill under the supervision of a petty officer, with the captain (Kapitänleutnant, but I didn’t manage to paint the two embroidered stripes on the sleeves) looks on, the first officer (Leutnant zur See, one stripe on the sleeves) takes notes, and two men man the helm - I noticed a certain emptiness and lack of activity in the other parts of the boat. So, I sifted through the Preiser-sprues in search for some additional suitable figures. Thus, more mid 20th century German railway staff joined the 19thcentury Imperial Navy. There will be two stokers taking a break from their arduous work, a rating on signalling duty walking back towards the mast, and a petty officer on the after deck going about his duty.

As before, jackets had to be trimmed down and breast pockets scraped off in order to represent blouses and high-waist trousers. The single-breasted railway-jacket was converted into the double-breasted one of the navy, caps or hats altered.

The painting proceeded as before, but I noted that the practices from the other figures paid off. The stokers wear the white working blouse and trousers, which seems a bit strange in a boiler-room environment full of coal-dust, soot, and sweat, but I suppose the undyed cotton stands up better to serious washing than any coloured cloth. After painting, these figures were dusted with grey pastel.
 
 
To be continued ....

Sorry about that. I got interrupted writing the above post. In the meantime, it looks like you "pulled the pin" and ordered a vise from Micro-Mark when you could have ordered it from Walmart for ten bucks less. I won't rub it in, but only to say that it always pays to shop around before buying anything from Micro-Mark. 

An excellent tool that everybody should have. However, you should shop around on the internet to find the lowest price. As usual, Micro=Mark has more tools for modeling than most any catalog, but nearly always at a considerably higher price. For example, see: Universal Work Holder Peg Clamp Jewelers Engraving Hand Tool for Jewelry Making - Walmart.com
 
This tool has a handle that can be screwed off and the base neck is hexagonally shaped so it can be placed in a bench vise. That's often a more convenient way to use it than holding it in one hand and some tool or paintbrush in the other.
 

 
Fancy articulated bench top holders are made for it, or sold with this vise, but all are of questionable utility (often too weak) and overpriced. The best option is to buy a decent small 2.5" or 3" bench vise with a clamping attachment for $30 or less. E.g.;  $23.50 Clamp-On Swivel Vise - Lee Valley Tools
 

 
Another option that is very handy to have is one of the extremely versatile QuadHands holding platforms. These are heavy iron plates with flexible arms holding heavy duty alligator clips that attach to the base plate with rare earth magnets.  Sold on Amazon and elsewhere. They are really useful for lots of applications, particularly holding parts for painting, gluing, and soldering. This is a commercial grade tool made for and marketed to the electronics assembly industry. Beware of identical-appearing Chinese knock-offs. The quality is not the same. "QuadHands" is the brand you want. See: QuadHands® - Helping Hands  Tool  They come in several sizes and additional "arms" and attachments are available, starting at around $40. Also sold on Amazon.
 

Has anyone ever heard of 18th century iron nails being dipped into tar, or pitch prior to being 'driven-in' for purposes of corrosion/rust control... as well as additional water-tight integrity of a ship's hull?  

I had a look at the site - excellent information - even the plating drawing.
 
Marvellous CAD work - I wish I understood it all. Maybe I am glad that my draughting training was completed at the turn of the Stone Age.

It does have oil caps so it must be (sintered bronze press in sleeve bushings.)
 
thank you everyone for the info, and no I'm going to be doing a utube restoration video of it.  I'll be lucky to just clean it up and paint it so it looks nice.  
Like I said before it runs, no slop in the headstock, and I just got done lubricating everything today.  So, it's ready to use.

I'm with Jaager on this one. Given the scarcity of fine quality linen thread these days, the professional museum curators seem to have accepted Guttermann "Mara" polyester thread as sufficiently archival for laying up scale rope for museum models. There is no problem coloring polyester thread with black India ink. India ink is basically lamp black and shellac thinned with water. The shellac will ensure the lamp black sticks and doesn't smear and will also stiffen the line. Clear shellac will do the same for purposes of stiffening the line without changing the color. Quality thread like Gutterman's Mara doesn't have any noticeable "fuzz," the reduction of which was the primary purpose of waxing line in the past. (Fuzz can also be removed by "flaming," running the line quickly through a flame to burn the fuzz off. 
 
It would seem waxing line is a practice that can be dispensed with entirely if polyester filament thread is used to lay up the line. 

I'm with Jaager on this one. Given the scarcity of fine quality linen thread these days, the professional museum curators seem to have accepted Guttermann "Mara" polyester thread as sufficiently archival for laying up scale rope for museum models. There is no problem coloring polyester thread with black India ink. India ink is basically lamp black and shellac thinned with water. The shellac will ensure the lamp black sticks and doesn't smear and will also stiffen the line. Clear shellac will do the same for purposes of stiffening the line without changing the color. Quality thread like Gutterman's Mara doesn't have any noticeable "fuzz," the reduction of which was the primary purpose of waxing line in the past. (Fuzz can also be removed by "flaming," running the line quickly through a flame to burn the fuzz off. 
 
It would seem waxing line is a practice that can be dispensed with entirely if polyester filament thread is used to lay up the line. 

Mast hoops are the loosely fitting bent wood rings to which the luffs of sails are fastened and which permit the sails to be hoisted up and down the masts.
 
An iron ring around the heel of the mast is properly called "an iron ring around the heel of the mast." However, when speaking to landlubbers, sailors call it a "gronicle." Sailors call anything without a name a "gronicle." Lubbers don't know the difference.  

Mast hoops are the loosely fitting bent wood rings to which the luffs of sails are fastened and which permit the sails to be hoisted up and down the masts.
 
An iron ring around the heel of the mast is properly called "an iron ring around the heel of the mast." However, when speaking to landlubbers, sailors call it a "gronicle." Sailors call anything without a name a "gronicle." Lubbers don't know the difference.  

Absolutely unique views of ships that survived into the 20-th century and got on film.
 
Hindustan:
 
 
 
Implacable:
 
 
The sinking of Implacable - note her behavior on open water:
 
 
 
Conway ex-Nile:
 
 
 
Worcester:
 
 
 
Victory in 1925: