KevinR

Steamship Heinrich Kayser
 
Introduction to this build log, by Nils Langemann
 
The steamship Heinrich Kayser was launched in 1898 baptized to its birthname „Elbing“ and was one of the typical new fast merchant vessels built for the D.A.D.G. (Deutsch Australische Dampfschiffahrts Gesellschaft) shipping company at the FSG shipyard in Flensburg, northern Germany. It served the trade route Europe via Cape of Good Hope or via Suez Canal and the red sea and across the Indian Ocean to several Australian Ports together with her sister ships on regulary basis for many years.
After WW1 and in compliance with the Treaty of Versailles demands the Elbing went under command and management of a british shipping controller, from which the “Elbing” was bought back again by the Hamburg based Kayser & Sohn shipping Company in 1921, which renamed the vessel to “Heinrich Kayser”. In 1922 my grandfather was appointed as the master in command on its last fatal voyage from England to the US eastcoast, down to Florida and back touching Norfolk Virginia as last port and thereafter went down with all aboard her in a heavy full gale and with broken rudderchain and broken hatchcovers. The last SOS radio signals came from position of the New England Seamount Chain, some 500 miles off the US eastcoast where the Atlantic is 5000m deep. No survivers, not a trace was ever found. This type of ship was a mere cargo steamer of 5600 tons, which may have been able to accommodate 2-3 passengers, midships. The Heinrich Kayser was capable of cruising at max. of 12 knots with her twin-boiler arrangement in tandem setup, and having appr. 20 firemen (stokers and heaters), working in shifts to keep the boilers at pressure accordingly.
I built this model, which is already completed to date, after a shipyard overview plan in honor to my grandfather and all its 43 souls crew and three passengers.
It is only a couple of weeks ago that per incidence, and 91 years after that foundering, on a raised web forum thread I was able to take up contact with an american lady, who`s great grandmother as well as her great aunt have been on board the Heinrich Kayser at that time and lost their lives as passengers way back in 1922
The build log shall comprise probably 21 individual parts due to limit of pics per post, and shall document all building sequences in pictures. Comments, questions, etc. shall be welcome and answered along with the build log as it grows.
The model took me appr. 1800 manhours to build over 2 years including the search for a plan, new modeling techniques like metal- plating /”riveting”, soldering, glass-case making, all trials, etc.
The fully completed model can be viewed in my album (steamship Heinrich Kayser) under topic : Gallery of completed scratch built models
Have fun and enjoy whilst studying this oldtimer steamer of 1898 in its buildup
 
Nils
 
Here it Begins.....
 
Build log part1
 

this is one of the ship under its birthname "Elbing"
 

this is one of the very last Pictures of the Heinrich Kayser
 

overview plan frontsection
 

overview plan aftsection
 

stringers and single-layer planking in pine
 

 

 

planking under way, propshaft built in
 

Frame plan, self drawn, not included in overview plan
 

planking nearly completed
 
 
 
Part 2 to follow....

Model Shipways Typical Ship’s Boat* (SMALL)
*As labelled on the kit. On the website it’s called: Plank-on-Frame Lifeboat Kit
 
I am building the Mamoli 1:64 scale 1781 American Privateer Rattlesnake with the help of Robert Hunt’s Practicum. In the process of building the Rattlesnake, I had to make the ship’s boat. The Mamoli kit provided the model builder with a pre-cut wooden shell for the hull from which the builder could then create a completed model (which the Practicum addresses). If I had built the Model Shipways’ version of the Rattlesnake, I would have had to make the ship’s boat “bread and butter” style. Somehow neither option satisfied me. So I decided to go all out and build a ship’s boat from the keel up or as the case turn out, from the keel down.
 
Model Shipways makes 5 sizes of kits; I purchased the Typical Ship Boat No. MS0108, a Plank-on-Frame construction kit (POF).
 
Model No.:    Size
MS0105          3-3/16'' (81mm) MS0106          3-3/4'' (95mm) MS0107          4-1/4'' (108mm) MS0108          4-3/4'' (122mm) MS0109          5-3/16'' (135mm)  
This is my first POF as well as my first small boat build, so this will be all new territory for me. Not only that, I won’t have the Practicum to hold my hand until the hull is built.
 
The kit is fairly simple, one laser cut sheet provided the keel, the bow bulkhead, the transom, and the frames to create the bot’s ribs. A bunch of stock wood pieces which I believe to be Basswood as it is fairly soft was also included. The instructions are straight forward but not overly detailed so a lot of the skills and nuances of model building must be brought with the builder. Unfortunately the resolution of the photo images in the instructions is low and therefore hard to see detail. 

A third thought (jeez, I'm full of them today ).
 
What's the hardest part about Rigging? GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT.
 
By which I mean things like:
 
1. Tying Blocks to a line or eyebolt.
 
2. Doing Seizings.
 
3. Belaying a line to a Pin.
 
4. Threading line through a Block or Deadeye (use a Needle Threader   ).
 
5. Tying Ratlines (easy when you know how).
 
6. Getting a Footrope to hang "naturally".
 
7. Shaping Masts and Yards.
 
There are a few more that don't spring immediately to mind, but you get the picture. Buy yourself a few GOOD QUALITY Blocks, some GOOD QUALITY Rigging Line and some Fly-tying line and PRACTICE the basics. Use the Tips readily available in the Masting, Rigging and Sails section of MSW to get the idea of how to do each bit. Same with the Masts. Ask questions on specific details if you can't find the relevant info in the forum.
 
Once you have a good idea of all the above, start on one of your models. Some may look very complex, but that's only because there more lines to rig - everything else is basically the same.
 
  Danny

I worked on the Mast and Bowsprit Spreaders. They are made from 20 gauge steel wire. The directions have you glue the stays to the end of the spreaders. I decided to add eyes to the end of the spreaders. It has been years since I have soldered anything smaller then copper pipe, but I figured I would try my luck. I dug out my old soldering iron but the only solder I could find was 3mm for plumbing. I did Ok on the mast spreaders despite the fact the soldering iron did not seem to be as hot as it should. The soldering iron actually stuck to the wire a couple of times.
The plan also has you solder the dolphin striker to bowsprit spreader. This is where a hotter iron would have been nice. After several failed attempts to solder the spreader and striker together, I decided to make the bowsprit parts out of wood dowel. After the parts dried I decided they were to large to use. I decided to give the soldering another try and I would skip soldering the parts together. The soldering iron worked perfectly today and the bowsprit parts came out looking than the mast spreaders.

I found the old pennys looking through boxes of old model parts. Thought I would hold onto them to use for size comparison.
 
I started this model in 1988 and found it in the cabinet a couple of week ago. I realized last week the hull was never carved completely. There is about a 1/4" to much in the bow. I apparently only sanded and then painted it. Looking at it and seeing the hull not shaped correctly bothered me, but I kept telling myself that no one would notice. Well I did not listen. This evening I took the knife to it.



It is still not the correct shape, but the bow has the correct rise and at the casual glance it looks correct.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to bend cast metal parts?
 
Whenever I have tried in the past to either bend them or straighten them I managed to break them and then had to make substitutes, usually out of wood because I am much more comfortable working with wood than metal.
 
I hope I am using the correct terminology when I say cast metal.  I am referring to the white metal parts supplied in most kits that usually have a little bit of flashing on them and are quite brittle.
 
Thanks in advance.

Yup!
Launched as Glenmohr, but renamed right after launching. Also the first commercial vessel to transit the current Welland Canal in 1932.
 
Andy

Lemoyne (1926-1969) for many years was the largest bulk carrier on the Lakes and the first with a beam of 70 feet.

As Promised

I have not made much progress of late. My shipyard in in my sun room and it is currently 52F.  I need to re-paint the hull on the Atlantic which requires me to re-mark the waterline. The cradle that came with the kit is not stable enough to mark a straight line so I made one from some scrape plywood. No if it would warm up enough to work I will get it painted.

I worked on the Mast and Bowsprit Spreaders. They are made from 20 gauge steel wire. The directions have you glue the stays to the end of the spreaders. I decided to add eyes to the end of the spreaders. It has been years since I have soldered anything smaller then copper pipe, but I figured I would try my luck. I dug out my old soldering iron but the only solder I could find was 3mm for plumbing. I did Ok on the mast spreaders despite the fact the soldering iron did not seem to be as hot as it should. The soldering iron actually stuck to the wire a couple of times.
The plan also has you solder the dolphin striker to bowsprit spreader. This is where a hotter iron would have been nice. After several failed attempts to solder the spreader and striker together, I decided to make the bowsprit parts out of wood dowel. After the parts dried I decided they were to large to use. I decided to give the soldering another try and I would skip soldering the parts together. The soldering iron worked perfectly today and the bowsprit parts came out looking than the mast spreaders.

I found the old pennys looking through boxes of old model parts. Thought I would hold onto them to use for size comparison.
 
I started this model in 1988 and found it in the cabinet a couple of week ago. I realized last week the hull was never carved completely. There is about a 1/4" to much in the bow. I apparently only sanded and then painted it. Looking at it and seeing the hull not shaped correctly bothered me, but I kept telling myself that no one would notice. Well I did not listen. This evening I took the knife to it.



It is still not the correct shape, but the bow has the correct rise and at the casual glance it looks correct.

I got some time to work on the Atlantic this weekend and here is where it is at. Greg, green is my favorite color,but I decided to paint it black to better match the original.
 
I also made 25+ eye bolts from some very fine wire wrapped around 20 gauge wire. Then drilled and mounted them on the deck.


I also mounted the bowsprit. I added some wood putty to fill in the gaps.

I was not happy with changing my design by eliminating the channels - I was looking forward to doing them and their associated details. I also wasn't pleased with my bottle either because of the rough surface finish and thickness irregularities that will cause distortion of the view of the ship inside.
 
 
This flippant comment got me thinking. After an internet search and e-mailing a few glassblowers in the Los Angeles area (I live in the desert east of LA) I decided this was the way to solve both of my problems. I continued work on Ogallala, as designed with channels, while finalizing the details of getting my bottle made. Today I ordered a custom bottle of similar size to the gallon jug but with a larger opening and, except for the pain in my wallet (yes, it is expensive), I'm happy about it. I'm excited about getting glass that will be much better than that ugly gallon jug.

Well played, Eamonn!  It is, indeed, the USRC Thomas Corwin
 
The U.S. Revenue Marine Steamer Thomas Corwin, also known as simply Corwin, was completed in 1876 and was commissioned on 17 July 1877 in San Francisco, California, which remained her home port during her career with the Revenue Marine.  She was then under the command of Revenue Captain J. W. White.  She sailed for Sitka, Alaska on 30 July 1877 where she began a patrol in the Arctic Ocean, returning to San Francisco on 28 August 1877.
She then made annual cruises to Alaskan waters.  She also patrolled the waters off Washington and Oregon when not in the Arctic.  She enforced fishing regulations, customs laws, prevented the trafficking of liquor with the local native populations, established the authority of the U.S. Government on the new territory, and assisted mariners in distress, among other duties.
 
On 9 April 1898 Corwin was transferred to the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War.  She served in the San Diego, California area until 15 August 1898 when she was returned to the Treasury Department.
 
She was sold on 14 February 1900 for $16,500.  She was used as a merchant vessel after her sale and continued sailing the Bering Sea on a charter basis.
 
She was a topsail schooner with an inverted cylinder steam engine; single propeller
 
Your turn!
 

This has to be the weirdest method I have used to date to find a ship..
 
Step 1   try identify an odd flag
Step 2   Google '13 vertical stripe flag with odd shape in top left'
Step 3   Have no luck
Step 4   Eventually find US Coastguard flag, but seems to have too many vertical stripes, keep looking and find Old US Coastguard flag with 13 stripes.. utter word 'Hmmmm.. I wonder'
Step 5  Google US Coastguard and find its history goes back to Revenue Cutter Service and US Lifesaving Service
Step 6  Google US Lifesaving Service.. zilch
Step 7  Google US Revenue Cutter Service, go into 'images' of same, to find examples of the flag
Step 8  Up pops our boat when I find a ship that looks kinda similar!
 
Phew....
 
Answer: is it  U.S. Revenue Cutter Corwin ?
 
Brilliant Question and beautiful boat Wayne
 
Eamonn

That's the bunny Andy, kinda figured this one wouldn't take too long.
 
She is currently in Belfast.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Caroline_(1914)
 
You're up, Andy
 
Eamonn

Hi Spencer,
 
There is an excellent article in the MSW database written by Wayne Kempson on drafting ships plans in CAD (which is what you are asking about, I think).
 
Of course, it requires a CAD program of some sort. There are many available at a range of prices. I use TurboCAD and it seems to work well for a reasonable price.
 
Here is a link to Wayne's article:
 
http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/plans_and_research/DraftingShipPlansInCADwayne.pdf
 
Hope this is what you were after.

On 5 October, National Ships in Bottles Day, the Ships in Bottles Association of America (SIBAA) announced the start of a group build of Fantasy Ships. The only criteria is that the ships are depictions from art, films, books, movies, cartoons, etc, or from the creators imagination. My first thought was one of Hornblower's ships but decided against any of them. Then I remembered that the covered wagons from the western expansion of the United States were sometimes called "prairie schooners" because of their very loose resemblance to ships at sea. That triggered a visualization of a large Conestoga Wagon "hull" fitted with masts and sails from a Baltimore Clipper and I set to work on drawings to work out the details. When I posted my drawings on the SIBAA facebook page several people mentioned a Disney animated short "The Saga of Windwagon Smith" presented as a classic tall tale like the Paul Bunyon stories.
 
 
 
As soon as I saw the beginning of this cartoon I remembered seeing it in the theater when I was about 9 or 10 years old and that my inspiration for Ogallala must have come from it, so I'm giving credit to Walt for my inspiration.
 
My intention is to present Ogallala as if it was real including the "real" dimensions, correct rigging, deck details, wheels and necessary wagon details like brakes and steering.
 

 

 
In the time since preparing these preliminary drawings as jpeg images, I found the bottle I'm going to use which requires reducing the drawings from 1/64 scale to 1/96 and preparing individual detail drawings of the components, now in progress. I learned by doing how to generate the usual three view line drawings of the hull from my very simple hull. I have reduced the beam a little so the hull will fit through the bottle neck. The hull will be divided into an upper and lower section with separate wagon frame components all to be assembled inside the bottle.
 
My first problem is how to depict a "sea" of chest high prairie grass but I'm finding information on how model railroaders do fields of tall grass or grain crops.
 
Please, don't try to tell me that a "prairie schooner" or "windwagon" is impossible. I know and I don't care - it's a fantasy build and just for fun.    I hope you join in the fun by following the build.
 
Yippee-ki-yay and a yo-ho-ho!
 
Dave

You are correct DFellingham. This is the HMS Campbeltown shortly after joining the Royal Navy. The Cambeltown was formerly the USS Buchanan. Here is the Wki article.
"HMS Campbeltown was a "Town"-class destroyer of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was originally US destroyer USS Buchanan, and, like many other obsolescent U.S. Navy destroyers, she was transferred to the Royal Navy in 1940 as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement. Campbeltown became one of the most famous of these ships when she was used in the St. Nazaire Raid in 1942."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Campbeltown_%28I42%29

Here is a photo, I assume before she blew up.
 
It is your turn DFellingham.

Name the Ship:
 

This ship dramatically changed naval warfare. Image cropped but otherwise unchanged.

Actually, IMO that does make it not less saddening.
 
Jan

'The receiving ship Independence ca 1895. I find this image very saddening in contrast to the painting above.' 
 
I agree though if you look at her sheerline she must have been completely worn out that time.

DFellingham, you are correct. The USS Hayler (DD-997) was suppose to be a class of it's own, DDH-997 (helicopter destroyer). But the Navy could not get enough funding to build it as such so completed it as a Spruance class destroyer. By the time it was built they were out of parts so had to find them where they could. All of the spruance class destroyers had the SPS-40 Air Search Radar except for the Hayler, it had the SPS-49. It made it easy to find at the piers, when there could be several Spruance classes nested together. As far as that armored door, I remember having to do maintenance on it. We had to bring in riggers just to change the hinge pins. During heavy seas the door would be secured because it could crush someone if it closed unexpectedly. All of the other Spruances and Ticonderogas had a large aluminum door in that location.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hayler_%28DD-997%29
 
DFellingham, you win. So what have you got?

It is the USS Independence 1814, 90 gun Ship of the line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Independence_%281814%29

Hello Esteemed Builders,
 
First, I would like to say that it is very exciting to see all the great work everyone has posted on MSW.
 
I am completely new to the hobby of model ship building. I took a course in the history of sea power during college and fell in love with tall sail ships. Some how I landed on a website looking at wooden model ships and before I knew it I had the Swift kit in my hands. Lucky, I have now found some time to work on it and am excited to see how it goes. I wanted to say hello and I certainly welcome all advice and expertise as I build the swift. 
 
Tyler