SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse 1897 by Mirabell61 - FINISHED - scale 1:144 - POF - first German four stacker of the Norddeutscher Lloyd line

[Mirabell61]

Hi Nils

 

She's looking darn good!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

 

thanks very much Patrick,

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

too bad you didn't ask around concerning those hole rivets

 

#2 (2).jpg

 

I found this box of 'em in the cellar a while ago.........there's a bunch of sizes - mixed.

 

#3.jpg

 

I separated what I could stand.......it's the equivalent to the Chinese water torture  

 

I have plans for a Danmark down the road....I got more than enough,  if you need any   

 

Denis,

 

thank you very much, your offer to help out with these hole-rivets is much appreciated, I`ll let you know if further requirement arrises....

Did I understand right, you`re planing the tallship "Danmark" up your sleeve, that will be great

 

Nils

Edited July 15, 2015 by Mirabell61

[Mirabell61]

Thanks for your comment Peter,

 

and so much for sharing These wonderful historic Photos.   There is a book on the market author: Eberhard Mertens, "Deutsche Lloyd Schnelldampfer" which I did`nt invest in yet, due to my Budget, but I presume you may have it...

Where did you find These pics ?, and mentioning there were even plenty more, Oh, you realy made me so curious now, would very much appreciate if you kindly would be able to drop some now and then,  together with your visits to my log ....

 

there are so many Details to be seen on those pics, like the outcuts for the anchor chains in the second forecastle wave-breaker, I was just wondering how I could / should do that

 

Cheers Nils

Edited July 16, 2015 by Mirabell61

[EdT]

The hull looks beautiful, Nils.  I am looking forward to your further progress.  I love these liner models.

 

Ed

[Mirabell61]

Thank you ED,

 

You are very wellcome to drop in to this log alltimes, and I`m very honored to receive these Kind comments from a master builder as you are. I just love the wonderful modeling craftmanship, knowledge and Performance skill, like you Show in your "Young America" extreme clipper

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Peter,

 

thanks so much !

These photos are not only beautiful Detail shots of that that aera in technical shipbuilding ( eg: width of deck planking, vents on the boats deck, etc.) at the turn of the century, but also historical document of the passengers fashions

 

Nils

Edited July 17, 2015 by Mirabell61

[UpstateNY]

Hi Nils,

 

Seems from Mr Hollom's wonderful pictures you have a lot of rigging to plan for in your build!  Number of stays and so on is amazing!

 

Hull is looking really great...nice to see her off the board now. Looking forward to your next update!

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[Mirabell61]

thanks Nigel,

 

yes , you are right, viewing those pics my mind is revolving on that mode.... "how can at least part of those details be done, in order to reflect the charme of 1900", also the lovely cabin walls of the deck housings

Just have a look at those toothwheel operated turning devices for the vent Hoods, fantastic !.....

and that in scale 1:144

 

Nils

Edited July 18, 2015 by Mirabell61

[Mirabell61]

update, deckstringers glued in...

 

will have to adjust the sheerline a bit bothsides before cutting the "waists" fore and aft, where portiones of  "one deck lower" will be installed. These deckportions in the sides outcuts area will be pre-planked before mounting.... The forecastle deck outer area will be remarkably rounded downwards to the sides sheerline, which is characteristic for this liner

 

 

Nils

 

 

 

all the wooden beams that are under the deck later on will not be visible, therefore no need (exept for the hight related outcuts and slots)  to have precision joint fittings here

 

 

 

the upper sides of the deckbeams will be excactly faired to suit the deck curvatures, resp. rest on the side sheers

 

 

 

I just weighed the hull at this stadium : 1550 Gramm

 

 

 

 

the rather narrow bowpost (2mm) is blended out to transit into the  keel (5 mm), flush with the planking

 

 

 

the transition area (vertical planking to horizontal planking) will be further faired shortly before the plating takes place

 

 

 

one of the three sleeve holes through the keel for the M4 galvanized steel pedestal spindels of the stand

 

[archjofo]

Hi Nils,

the hull is very well built.
I am eager what happens next.

[Mirabell61]

Hi Johann.

 

wellcome to the build log and many thanks for your Kind  appreciation.

What happens next ?.....,

I`ll have to do the "waist cutouts" and the waist-decks planking fore and aft in order to get all the decks on in correct Position with the sides, and then all the upper hull rails. When that is done. there will be a sequence of filler smoothening, and fairing the aft hull portions and shafthousings. 

The metal-plating will first begin when the forestanding sequences are done

 

Nils

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Nils,

 

do you like to add the plating with copper or brass foil? Do you have a plating plan of the ship? I've seen a part of this type of drawing from one of the Flying P Liners and foud it very difficult to read.

[Mirabell61]

Christian,

 

The criteria for the plating material (Aluminium, copper, brass, etc. ) is the availability in such required foils, (like 0,125 mm), and with suitable adhesive gluefilm Quality, and the suitability for poncing the "rivets". Because I had good results with Alum. for four  "riveted ships" already, I`ll use it again.

I know there are here and there shipbuilders plating plans indicating the pattern, but I also find those too complicated and too strict to follow.

 

I look at the number of plating "chines" on the actual ship, the size of the steelplates, and how they run on the aftship section (if there are dry dock photos available thats a great help)

In general I start with the first plating line, leave a gap with 90% platewidth and do the third, before the second plating line is put on, covering horizontal riveting lines of the first and the third row.

The vertical rivet Joints are 2 or 3 or 4 rivet-rows, (Higher stresses) whereby the horizontal line are a rivet-row less. With the plating of These heritage Liners there were also reinforcing double and tripple plates, patches and Support plates, in some cases even as additional "belts" like it can be seen on many riveted and well built models of the Titanic, Lusitania, etc. (from there Comes the term "Rivet Counter....."

 

The KWdG plating is basicly planed like my done plating on my other models. I will have to pay special attention to the aft area and around the propshaft housings, to get a good and acceptable result, that will cause some trials first and hopefully not too much headaches

 

Nils

Edited July 19, 2015 by Mirabell61

[wyz]

Nils

 

     Most powered vessels don't really interest me much, but I have to say this build caught my eye.  Yes, I will be following your progress.  So far it looks great.  I love the pictures of the ship you posted, the actual ship and your work,  and look forward to seeing more from you as you progress on the model.  Good luck with the build.

 

Tom

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Tom,

 

and wellcome to the build log, I`m glad you like it....

 

Nils

[captainbob]

Nils, I don't know how I missed the start of this great ship.  I'll be staying around to watch, I always learn from your builds.

 

Bob

[Mirabell61]

wellcome Bob,

 

I´m glad you dropped in, and that you`re staying to watch, you have`nt missed too much yet, because the most of the hull build is still to come...., let alone the core of the ship. The hull shall take some time, as there are still some details to solve and in lack of a building intruction

 

Nils

Edited July 20, 2015 by Mirabell61

[Kevin]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

 

can i join you and have a front seat please - i can provide the pop corn and soft drinks

[Mirabell61]

Crackers,

 

you`re so right with those fab pics/Details, I`m already thinking for some days since I saw the lovely, probably brass framed double elevation Windows in the deckhousing behind that couple (how to do it in scale 1:144 )

 

Nils

[popeye the sailor]

the details are becoming more complex Nils..........with seeing the brasswork you've done in the past........should be a piece of cake      looking great so far 

[Mirabell61]

Thanks Kevin and Denis,

and all the "likes"....

 

Kevin,

you`re wellcome any time and your seat is booked already.....

I`m glad you dropped in and that you shall be watching

 

Denis,

I`ll try my best for these details, just wanted my mind to pick up some thoughts now and get working, so that I have an acceptable solution when I reach that long ongoing sequence for the ships superstructure

 

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Build log part 12

 

 

 

today I did some preliminary trials for the portholes, Size, glassing, mounting in plated planked hull...... It suits scale 1:144, whereby the actual porthole inner diameter, when opened should pass a man through (in case of fire on the ship)

 

The hollow rivets are from brass with galvanized tin coating. The hollow inside diameter is 2,4 mm

The "glassing" is cut from a 2,4 mm diam. grass trimmer line, where the cut surface face becomes tranparent. A mini drop of low viscosity CA at the far end secures the safe fit to the hollow rivet tube

 

The critical part is to drill through the plating foil without destorting it, by cutting a clean round hole through plating-foil and wood of the hull

 

I`m quite happy with the results so far

 

Nils

 

 

 

The figure`s hight is 12mm, the hight from deck to deck will be 19-20mm

The "glassing" stands back appr. 0,5 mm from the outer rivet face

 

 

 

it is important to get a clean cut through the plating foil

 

 

 

 

 

a little cutt off end of the grass trimmer line goes into the hollow rivet, secured with a tiny drop of CA

 

 

 

for cutting through the foil I use a brass tube with sharpened end on one side, slid over a centering drill....., the function is: cut the foil clean, center and drill through the models planking with the other side of the centering drill

 

 

 

remove the cut out foil piece from the tube with a pointed tweezer

 

 

 

my special "tool"

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Very nice technique for the ports, mate!

 

John

[Omega1234]

Hi Nils

 

The method you've come up for the portholes is ingenious. I would never have thought of using the nylon trimmer line for glass!

 

Works nicely, that's for sure.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[gjdale]

Ingenious Nils!

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks to - John - Patrick - Grant,

and all the "likes"..

 

I`ve used this technique on the ports for my other ships before, so there is some experience with it already, but in combination with the "glassing" per littel cylindrical bits of cutter-line is new.

There is another Advantage of this Methode : if the cutter-line insert stand out of the rivet-tube (inside the ship), it wo`nt bother anybody, but it has the capability to catch light, for instance from a central placed Illumination LED lamp inside the ship, for the effect of "fibre light optic"...

 

Nils

[captainbob]

Nice port holes.  I'll have to remember that.

 

Bob

[Mirabell61]

Nice port holes.  I'll have to remember that.

 

Bob

 

 

Thank you Bob,

 

there will be appr. 350-400 portholes on the hull, so its worth doing these trials upfront...

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update...

 

its time to get the rudder further on..

two cladding brass sheets are soldered together on the aft edge, top and bottom a narrow triangle piece is soldered in, and that fits on the already installed hinged skeleton.

 

Nils

 

 

 

the rudder is preliminary mounted. The propshaft housings are faired down to a smooth and a little smaller diameter

 

 

 

here the tapered rudder can be seen

 

 

 

rudder full starboard....

 

 

 

and midship....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ready for primering, now the portside rudder must be done to the same status...

[Omega1234]

Hi Nils

 

Your rudder is beautiful and so too, is the lovely work in shaping the stern and planking around the propshafts. Now, they wouldn't have been easy to do!

 

All the best

 

Patrick