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

[Mirabell61]

Thank you Patrick,

 

the fairing and blending reached a stage where filler will be of help now for real smooth transitions...

 

Nils

[UpstateNY]

Hi Nils,

 

Lovely metalwork...seems a shame to have to paint it in some ways! Props look better every time I see them as will now the rudder!

 

Hull is also looking wonderful and I am looking forward to seeing the next detail levels go on like all those great portholes.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[gjdale]

Fabulous work on the rudder Nils, and your prop shaft housings are looking very smooth too.

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Nigel and Grant,

and all the "likes"

 

 

Nigel,

thanks for your words, the ports will come on when the hull is plated, holes drilled through the skin and the hull painted

 

 

Grant,

...glad you like it, the actual ship once lost it`s rudder on an Atlantic crossing, do`nt know the reason, onward manouvering to next repair port with individual rpm Setting of the two srews

 

 

Nils

[captainbob]

Wood work, metal work, I see another great ship coming from your boat yard.

 

Bob

[Mirabell61]

Bob,

 

I thank you very much for your nice appreciative words....

wish I were a Little further on already in order to see if the planed next sequences work out as intended...

 

Nils

[dafi]

Lovely work, especially on rudder and screws :-)

 

XXXDAn

[Mirabell61]

Thanks for your comment Dafi,

 

and for dropping in to the KWdG build log, glad you like the Details...

 

Nils

[Martin W]

Yes, Nils, that rudder is exemplary.  But my jaw dropped when I read that you'll be putting in 350-400 portholes   oh my, making that many could take your entire weekend! 

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[dgbot]

I echo all the others Nils nice streamline hull. However I would use a drop of ca for your plating the adhesive on the plates will dry out and you will find your hard work coming off down the road.

David B

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Martin and David,

and all the "likes"...

 

Martin,

yes, I counted the number of portholes from the card model ports pattern. I`m still trying to find some rivets with a smaller sized rim, otherwise they might be too prominent for the hull sides.... I may be putting "eyebrows" on just above the ports (upper porthole rows)  in order to direct away rain and rough seawater splashing

 

 

David,

fortunately to date I never had Problems with dryed out adhesive gluefilm under the metal plating, Looks like its quite good Quality with that Aluminium foil, but I`ll have to see how it behaves after 10 years or more

 

 

Nils

[LFrankCPA]

Nils,

I'm surprised you are looking for portholes. Couldn't you just chose a brass rod of appropriate size, heat the end and turn it over? With your metal working skills, that seems like an easy route to take.

Larry

[Mirabell61]

Hi Larry,

 

there are so many portholes next to one another that that heat involved shaping would not provide a sufficient, repeatable look on the ships side surface. I am enclosing a little trial sample with three portholes. The little upper silver sample shows what hapens to the foil when the hole is not propperly cut, pre- to drilling the wood.

The righthand one on the black colored sample is best looking, but I feel the rim is too prominent, ......

The next two are not so prominent and they are flush with the hull skin, which comes nearest to the actual look. The semi material I use for those are priceworthy lead end-bushings for electronic conduct wiring DIN 46288

 

Nils

 

 

I feel the left two ports look more in scale of the actual ship`s ports

 

 

 

 

 

the actual ports are flush with the hull skin, except for extra "eyebrows" on the upper side of the hull

Edited July 29, 2015 by Mirabell61

[LFrankCPA]

Of course....sorry, I had not thought that far ahead. Making the first one usually presents no problem....it's making the next 74 to match it that's a bear......

Larry

[Mirabell61]

update....

 

some trials for promenade-deck  / boat-deck windows.....

 

This one of the pics that Peter (Mr. Hollom) sent me with the old couple in front of the deckhouse with the windows concerned, inspired me at least to try do it in scale 1:144 and in brass.

 

This is the result of the first trial (yet without glassing)..., before the glassing comes in, the background of the "pans" are painted silver-grey, for glassing I intend to place resin into the frame, that cures without shrinking and remains completely transparent in the frames

 

The window is a vertical doubleframe with common mounting flange and 3 hinges sidewise for the larger frame and 2 hinges on top of the smaller frame. Its completely made of brass, if I could, and had the capability,  I would have etched it out of plate....

 

The reason for doing this trial now, is because there may come some ideas for improvements for better looking, and when the lot is made, there will be round about 80 - 100 windows to make in repeatable mode

 

Nils

 

 

double-frame window type

 

 

 

common frames are made from hollow brass square rod resp. rectangular rod, I soldered both together and cut slices....

 

 

 

soldered onto a common plate (mounting flange) and glued the hinges on (three sidewise , two at the top)

 

 

 

the two horizontal pencil-lines resemble the deck levels on the little mock up sample and the handrail is directly under the window

 

 

 

the model figurerine is only 12 mm high

Edited July 31, 2015 by Mirabell61

[captainbob]

That window will look great on your ship.  I like it.

 

Bob

[Jim Lad]

Yet more beautiful metal work!

 

John

[Martin W]

And I see you've even put the knobs on the railing!!!!

 

Fantastic.

[Mirabell61]

thank you very much Bob, John and Martin,

....and the " likes "

 

for your nice comments on the prototype window, ist about smallest I can make this way with my limited capability, wish I knew how etching works, but thats more for modeling professionals...

 

I`m also thinking of the making of the only 8mm high outer deck railings. They require vertical 4 "wires" in horizontal direction as well as an (if possible) wooden handrail on top. Finaly, per Web Research, as semi material,  I have found some 8mm high  photo etched 6-chord material in scale 1:150 that suits well the requirements from the geometric side, I`ll do a sample and hope it shall work out well

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Build log part 13

 

 

a little update...

 

applying a bit of filler for blending out transitions and putting on the transom knee-rail around the stern...

 

Nils

 

 

 

pencil mark for the transom rail

 

 

 

 

 

 

nice smooth hull now...

 

 

 

blending out of the propshaft housings

 

 

 

the lines of an early  "Blue Riband racer"

 

 

 

the transom knee rail is of brass, in order to resist / avoid later dents from knocking against...

Glued and fixed to the hull with 15 brass anchors 0,6 mm diam.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Mirabell61

[Omega1234]

Hi Nils

 

What a beautiful and streamlined hull; from the sharp entry at the bow, through to the beautiful elliptical stern and the way that the prop shafts are faired into the hull. A real thing of beauty to behold.

 

I know that it's a cliché, but they sure don't build 'em like this nowadays! It's a pity that most modern ships are bereft of beauty. Oh well, it makes ships like your KWdG all the more special...

 

Cheers and all the best!

 

Patrick

Edited August 1, 2015 by Omega1234

[Mirabell61]

Thank you very much Patrick,

 

Thats a well appreciated comment of yours....

 

the upper two parallel rails will be of wood, (semi-round 1 x 2mm nutwood), but before fixing these I have to get the decks in place first. That will take some time. The metal plating will be between those rails, so that they have a good contact wood to wood

 

Nils

[dgbot]

Wonderfully executed hull Nils. Do you plan to plate it or just paint the hull and leave the surface smooth?

David B

[gjdale]

The hull is looking just beautiful Nils. Great work!

[Jim Lad]

Beautiful job on the hull, Nils.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

thank you David,Grant and John,

 

 

David,

the entire hull will be me "metal-plated in riveting mode", once the decks are established

 

 

Grant and John,

your nice comments are much appreciated, I`m glad you like it

 

 

Nils

[NMBROOK]

Excellent work Nils  The propshaft housings look fantastic as does the rudder.Plating the housings will no doubt create a different set of 'fun and games'

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[Mirabell61]

Nigel,

 

thank you for your nice words....., very much appreciated,

I am momentarily considering the ponce-size for the "riveting"......

my favorite Ponce structure is like I did for the "Heinrich Kayser" Steamer, but that was in scale 1:96. For scale 1:144 it might be a wee bit too large, but it would Show a clear riveted Skin structure, even when the paint is on later.

 

Nils

Edited August 2, 2015 by Mirabell61

[archjofo]

Hello Nils,

you're doing an excellent job.

[Mirabell61]

Thanks for dropping in again Johann,

 

and for your kind appreciation...

 

Nils