SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse-(short KWdG)-1897-1914-by Nils Langemann - FINISHED - scale 1:144 - POF - first German four stacker of the Norddeutscher Lloyd line

[Mirabell61]

YIKES!  That circular saw set-up scares me just to look at it.  Now I know the truth about you, Nils:  you seem like a disciplined engineer devoted to the quiet hobby of ship modelling.  In fact, you really like flirting with danger!  :o And I thought my chain saw was scary!

 

On a milder note -- the rudder fits nicely. 

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

 

Martin,

 

trust you sure are right, we should`nt tell anybody further.....

 

Thanks for your comment on the rudder..

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

John and Bob,

 

thank you very much for your kind appreciations...

 

For the problematic area I`m using narrower planks, (before final shaping and trimming) to enable the curves better

 

Nils

 

[LFrankCPA]

Hi Nils,

Yes the spoke shave is similar to a plane. However, IMO, it's much more efficient. With cross grain you can just turn the s/s around and push it the other way; or you can skew the blade angle, say 45 degrees; take a little or a lot of wood off. The s/s actually 'shaves' off the wood, smooth cut. Once you get the hang of it you do not need to sand. I must have a dozen of them, different sizes and bottom shapes.

Come to think of it, it's more like scraping...maybe...

What ever you decide to do, please don't stop.

Larry

[Mirabell61]

Hi Larry,

 

thanks for your explaination, I guess I`ll just have to try it out to get the feeling for the spokeshave....

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Build log part 9

 

 

slowly the streamline underwater- hull is developing as planed, after fairing it may need a little filler material here and there to get the surface and the spheric areas for smooth transitions......

 

Nils

 

 

 

The last attached planks are only 5 mm wide. 

 

 

 

the next horizontal planks will have to match with the curvature of the propshaft housings

 

 

 

here two steelers are fitted, whereby the darker colored wood one is spheric shaped. The small wood piece obove the tailcone half is a bit of filler wood

 

 

 

the four 5 mm planks- portion here matches with the 13mm + 8 mm wide planks  onwards to the bow

 

 

 

The upper stern area will be timmed for vertical planking from the aft sheer downwards

 

 

 

Starboard side so far OK, now the port side is brought to the same status

 

 

 

 

 

the lines can now be seen clearly, and still the whole hull is safely mounted to the "slipway" board, I will take it off when the planking is completed

 

[S.Coleman]

Looking real nice. Looks real tricky around those prop shafts but it's coming along good. Great work.

[pete48]

Beautiful work Nils, She's looking fantastic well done

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks - S.Coleman - Nigel - Pete, and all the "likes"....

 

 

S. Coleman,

yes, it`s a bit tricky, but I think it will look quite good afterwards...

 

Nigel,

I`m thinking of applying a minimum bit of polyester  filler, where the wooden skin may become a little thin during fairing. Larry`s suggestion to use a spoke shave is still in my mind, but not for the narrow curves...

 

Pete,

thanks for your nice comment...

 

 

Nils

[rafine]

This is quite a task Nils. You seem to be handling it in your usual capable fashion. Can't wait to see the finished result.

 

Bob

[Mirabell61]

Hi Nils,

 

the stern-counters of my KWdG and the Titanic were built up from layers of wood. This was then joined to the hull itself. My Titanic hull was built using the same method as described in my Hohenzollern-Modell thread, my KWdG hull was built from foam-blocks as it was used to produce a mold.

As you're building overhead you could also adopt the stern the same way I built mine for your hull.

 

 

Regards

Peter

 

Peter,

 

thank you very much for explaining your hull building method for Titanic and KWdG. I also had a good look at your Hohenzollern hull, and fully understand the method. You have created a shallow but hollow space between inner and outer strip-planking, and all is held well together by the 2nd layer of planking, which also smooths out possible slight  curvature deviations of the outer skin. Well done !

It is a smart method to save weight (like the prefabricated walls of wooden Homes).

The wood -layer  shaping of the stern portions, like your pic shows, is self explaining

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

This is quite a task Nils. You seem to be handling it in your usual capable fashion. Can't wait to see the finished result.

 

Bob

 

Thank you very much Bob,

 

I`ll try to get everthing smooth and rounded, without applying too much of filler material. If I knock gently to the relatively thin outside skin it is as if I were building the resonanz corpus of a violin or so... (light, stiff, tight, hard). Expect the whole hull to be a lightweight construct when I take it from the "slip board". The hull must be smooth enough afterwards to enable an optimal metal plating

 

Nils

[mmdd]

Hi Nils,

perhaps it would be useful

Edited June 28, 2015 by mmdd

[Mirabell61]

Hi Mmdd,

 

lovely Pictures of a super built model. This is very tempting and sure is a great help, many thanks. Would you have enough pics to start a real Build log, this model is worth its own log here at MSW ? Absolute Museum Quality.

 

How did you do the stunning golden Stern decoration ? that Looks great !

 

Nils

Edited June 29, 2015 by Mirabell61

[NenadM]

Silently watching with ... uhh...ohh...ahh... omg ...

 

Fantastic work

[amateur]

Hi mmdd,

 

Is that one model, or two?

The lower pic has the remains of a sun-tent, the upper ones have not.

Or is it a before-after of acrestoration?

 

Jan

[druxey]

My hat off to you, Peter. A beautiful model indeed!

[Mirabell61]

Who ever build these models did superb work. I'm sure Nils can rise to this professional standards.

Montani semper liberi  Happy modeling

     Crackers    :D

 

I built the middle one, dated July 2005 it is now in the German National Maritime Museum in Bremehaven. The top model I believe was built by an American company there are more pictures of it in their homepage, the bottom one looks like one of the bulders' models.

 

Peter

 

Hi Peter,

 

thanks very much for identifying your super and masterly built model (pic 2) . The Museum in Bremerhaven now can be very proud of owning / displaying this beautiful heritage four-stacker. Bremen was the home harbour for the KWdG

 

The first pic  I trust can possibly be the recently completed masterpiece of the Russian, St. Petersburger model building group "Qvartett", if I`m not mistaken....

 

The third pic looks as if it were a "Cinderella" short before she meets the prince. What a pitty that this Model must be hidden under dust and plastic somewhere in a forgotten basement, or ....? Who knows if it may be brought to bloom as it deserves again.... If it is a builder`s model, it may be 100 years old or more and aftger restorration be an exponate candidate for a maritime museum

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Who ever build these models did superb work. I'm sure Nils can rise to this professional standards.

Montani semper liberi  Happy modeling

     Crackers    :D

 

Crackers,

 

thanks for your kind comment, I think I wo`nt be able to perform professional standards as those 3 super models are comprising, as the bar is set very high, but the way they are done is very encouraging for me to do best I can

 

Nils

Edited June 29, 2015 by Mirabell61

[mmdd]

Hi Nils
Hi All,

Bottom pic (post  #175)
German model in scale 1:50
Model was given to russian Count Witte
in 1905 and now kept in State Marine
Technical University of St. Petersburg.

Top pic (post  #175)
Modern russian model in scale 1:100.
Model is based on the german model and
original general arrangement plans.
Builders are "Qvartett" from St. Petersburg.

 

 

[Mirabell61]

many thanks mmdd,

 

for explaining the Background to the lovely models of This ship.

Congrats to "Qvartet", I dip my hat, the four gentlemen have created a fantastic build of this wonderful ship.

 

I see I was right with presuming the subject an over 100 years old model (and in scale 1:50, what a "beast")..., hopefuly the University may find a Sponsor to enable an authentic restoration of the "sleeping Beauty"...?

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

some progress on planking.....

 

Nils

 

 

 

whilst the stb side is still being followed up.....

 

 

 

and the glue not dry yet.....

 

 

 

the port side has already integrated the bilge keel and is around the port bilge bend

 

 

 

as all planks are also glued edge to edge in longitudinal direction (single layer planking), it shows here, the advantage of building-in stringers, because  the pegs, pins and clamps can easily be fixed in the right places...., and they serve as fine Framework to glue on

Edited July 3, 2015 by Mirabell61

[UpstateNY]

Hi Nils,

 

The beautiful hull lines are starting to really show!

 

Really enjoying watching your KWdG come to life!

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[Omega1234]

Hi Nils

 

Nice! However....Somehow, I think you must be really itching to get the planking done, so that you can lay the first metal plate! I know, because I would be, if I were you.

 

Nonetheless, I'm sure you're still loving seeing the hull take shape after each additional plank is laid, just as much as we all are.

 

I'm happily looking forward to your next update, as always.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

Edited July 2, 2015 by Omega1234

[Mirabell61]

Thank you Nigel and Patrick,

and the "likes"...

 

 

Nigel,

 

I`m quite glad that pics  of models of this ship, made by others, were able to be presented here on MSW as well, so that the lines on the final ship can be seen, next to the old black / white photographs  I had....

 

 

Patrick,

 

yes, thanks, you`re realy feeling with me, but it`s still some way of thorrow fairing and filler application work ahead, before the plating can go on. The wooden surface has to be top smooth, otherwise it would show up every dent, every scratch, and unenenness, when the self-adhesive metal foil is rubbed down on the wooden surface. Fortunately I still have some of the aluminium foil I used on the other ships. Hope it will still be enough to cover this new hull as well.

I was hoping to hold the ordered spoke-shave for trials in Hands, but we have postal workers srtike in greater Hamburg Region in the moment with millions of letter and parcel delivery backlog

 

Nils

Edited July 2, 2015 by Mirabell61

[popeye the sailor]

I do the same thing with my belt sander......stay safe my friend 

[Mirabell61]

Thanks Popeye,

 

is your belt sander  (a hand held sander) like for instance Proxon offers in their program....

or a stationary combination one ?

 

I also tried my hand held, electronic speed regulation triangle vibrition sander, it works well depending on grit size of the grinding patches. But that also creates tons of dust..., but at least it`s quite good to controll on the surface

 

Nils

 

[popeye the sailor]

mine's a hand held one.........I lock the button and set it upside down in a milk crate.   one of these days,  I might get an orbital sander...a bit smaller and more compact 

 

again.......your hull looks awesome!

[Martin W]

Nils -- I have that Proxxon sander and love it.  It works like a random orbital sander, and with those triangular sanding sheets, it can reach into tight areas.  It does put out a lot of dust, but that's an indication of how much wood it's taking off.

 

Your work is exemplary.

 

Martin

[Mirabell61]

Nils -- I have that Proxxon sander and love it.  It works like a random orbital sander, and with those triangular sanding sheets, it can reach into tight areas.  It does put out a lot of dust, but that's an indication of how much wood it's taking off.

 

Your work is exemplary.

 

Martin

 

 

Many thanks Martin,

 

for the Proxon Hand-Band-sander I had this one in mind (maybe something for christmas ?)

That triangular sander was once a special offer by one of our crafter markets

 

Nils

 

Edited July 5, 2015 by Mirabell61

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Peter,

 

appreciate your good advice, I´ll see if my local Obi-market has the product on stock.

 

I used to apply two-component polyester filler before, but that has too short working time and cures out very hard, so that the sanding afterwards is creating finest "powder" all over the room.

 

Today I completed the stand-plate (for three brass pedestals not finished yet), and stained it cherry wood color, same fashion as for the other ships and their glass cases baseplates. Still need to put some dull silk surface varnish on it

 

Nils