Heroine 1838 by ggrieco - FINISHED - Scale 1:24 - Western River Steamboat as she appeared before hitting a snag in the Red River

[Louie da fly]

I dips me lid, sir. What a marvellous exhibition of skill and precision.

 

Steven

[ggrieco]

I got a little bit more of the boilers done this week.  We have very little of the actual boilers so they will be a little simplified.  I will be including the mud drums, steam drums and safety valves.  Fortunately, we do have a standpipe and check valve for the feedwater line.  I'll add the check valve next week.

 

All the parts for the standpipes.

 

The standpipes actually stood several inches taller and ended with a flange for the boiler tube.  The sheathing of the flame bed sat on the arched webbing.

 

Completed standpipes minus the checkvalve.  I didn't notice until looking at the photos this morning that the webbing didn't seat properly on the tops of the tubes in a couple of spots.  I'll have to correct that on monday.

 

Making the mud drums and steam drums.

 

 

 

 

Dummy endcaps for the boilers. Everything else will be sheathed in .01 thick brass.

 

Covering the boiler tubes.

 

Port side of boiler sheathed.  I still need to add wide strips on the boiler tubes to represent the overlapping plates.  The holes for the standpipes still haven't been drilled underneath so it doesn't sit flush on deck yet.

[Cathead]

The boilers really help flesh out the machinery. Nice work, as always.

[Mahuna]

I love the precision.

[Cathead]

Glenn, I have some really interesting news: the team that found Arabia has found another boat, the 1841 Malta, in west-central Missouri. It'll be an amazing comparison to Heroine if they end up excavating it. I know the area well, I pass through it whenever I go to Kansas City.

 

This gave me the kick in the pants I needed to finally start a general steamboat/river-craft thread in the Nautical History section of MSW, so we don't have to fill up build logs with side discussions. I put a story link about the Malta in there, along with a few photos of other rivercraft models I've built that relate to the recent stories in the Nautical Research Journal. Hope this is of interest to you and your readers!

[Mirabell61]

Glenn,

 

that machinery (engine, flywheels, paddlewheels) and now the excellent quadruple tube boiler station look superb.

This for sure is a trip into vintage steam machining history of a great period, also the combination wood / metal. I love that ship, what can be seen so far...

 

Nils

[druxey]

Terrific looking as usual, Glenn!

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Glenn

 

Superb work on the lathe!

 

Regards

Gerhard

[mtaylor]

Beautiful metalwork, Glenn.  

[ggrieco]

Thanks everybody,

 

Cathead, that is interesting news about the Malta. I don't think we have much archaeologically from the 1840s and it should really provide info for the gap we have in the developement of the vessel. I can't wait to see how it compares to Heroine and the later vessel as well. Good news about the river craft thread as well! I will be following it!

 

Glenn

[Jim Lad]

More magnificent work, Glenn.

 

John

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, Glenn.

 

Steven

[albert]

Fantastic work Glenn.

[ggrieco]

I had a pretty frustrating week trying to assemble the boilers. I'm not satisfied with the appearance of the .01 thick brass. Embossing rivet heads in it created some distortion in it that was difficult to eliminate. I'm just happy to be done with it.

 

 

Brass plates with embossed rivet heads.

 

Testing fit of boiler plates.

 

Blackened boiler plates.

 

The steam drums were constructed similar to the mud drums with the addition of the flanged pipe for the steam supply line.

 

 

Front of firebox and panel inserts blackened.

 

Panels inserted.

 

Kevin's notes point out that Heroine probably had a brick lined ash pan but not an ash trough to the side of the vessel. He points to an example excavated from the wreck of the New Orleans. Several firebricks were found in Heroine's remains measuring 4" X 8 1/2" X2 1/8.

 

Brick lining of the firebox

 

Brick lined ash pan added. I added the wooden plugs where the boiler caps should be. They will provide a fastening point for the boilers breaching and will not be seen.

 

Boilers almost complete. I still have to add the feedwater check valve and safety valves.

 

Next week I will finally get to work on the upper works. After a frustrating week with brass sheet, I'm looking forward to getting back to woodwork. Below is Kevin Crisman's reconstruction of Heroine's profile.

Edited May 8, 2016 by ggrieco

[EdT]

Glenn, your posts need a "love this" button.  Truly amazing and beautiful work.

 

I seem to remember from an earlier post that you used Birchwood Casey to blacken the brass.  On these large pieces, I assume you are swabbing them full strength per their directions?  I find that that works well using a Q-tip.  Your blackening looks perfect.

 

Ed

 

By the way, the ruler in the pictures is most helpful.

Edited May 7, 2016 by EdT

[ggrieco]

Thanks Ed,

 

Yes, i pour it full strength in the bottom of a wide plastic pan, drop the part into it and scrub it submerged with a soft tooth brush. No matter how well I degrease it, there are spots where it doesn't immediately take. Scrubbing the spots with the brush eliminates them quickly. I wear rubber gloves and dip the parts in fresh warm water, rubbing the surface with the fingertips. I do this quickly- otherwise the black builds up and flakes off. I dry the part and then repeat the process 4 or 5 times until I get the finish I want. Unfortunately, the boilers were a nightmare. I used two part epoxy to fasten everything together and I just made a mess. In the process I scratched, smudged, smeared, and ruined the finish on just about every surface. I went home totally disappointed on Tuesday and then spent Wednesday morning buffing and retreating the entire structure with q-tips. It is still not as clean as it was before assembly but, it does give it a bit of the grungy, worn out look that the original boiler probably had.

Edited May 7, 2016 by ggrieco

[Jack12477]

Glenn, all I can say is WOW. The up close photos make it look like the real thing. Fantastic work !

[captainbob]

The boiler finish is great.

 

Bob

[EdT]

Thanks for that description, Glenn.  It is true that timing is everything with this.  I find the "black art"  to be the most consistently unpredictable of all modeling processes.  You have obviously mastered it.

 

Ed

[Cathead]

Looks really nice, Glenn. I wish I'd taken better photos of the boiler construction on Bertrand. It wasn't my favorite part of the build, either, both in the doing and in the result. Kinda nice to know I'm not the only one! What you've got certainly captures the feel of a typical steamboat boiler, which since it's speculative anyway, is more than good enough. And as on most boats, the boilers kinda get buried under the shadow of the boiler deck anyway, so any little mishaps fade from view.

 

Speaking of which, what's that slatted structure over the boilers in your drawing? Some kind of screen nailed to the outer stanchions? What's it for? Whatever it is, it'll also help hide any boiler imperfections.

 

Edit: also meant to ask, how did you emboss the rivets? By hand or with a ponce wheel? Curious to know what you tried and what you'd try differently in the future, since you didn't like the result.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Cathead

[ggrieco]

Thanks everybody for the comments and likes!

 

Cathead, I appreciate the comment about building Bertrand's boilers not being your favorite part of the build either. I was so disappointed that I considered not posting any photos of it. But, as you said, under the boiler deck, there will be only a limited view of it. I do want it to be open on the port side, however. Most of the planking will be absent including the lattice adjacent to the boilers. In Kevin's notes for reconstructing the profile, he states that this arrangement can clearly be seen on the Steamer Selma (circa 1835) and also mentions the Ohio (1832), the Napoleon (1831), and the Germantown (1846). The lattice would allow some cross ventilation while also providing a partition. Kevin mention stacks of wood for the boiler piled against the lattice.

 

The rivets were done with a center punch and a very light hammer. I have a couple of pounce wheels that I've used for coppering in the past but they made little impression in the .01 brass. On the second boiler I may try .005 brass and a pounce wheel. I'll keep you informed if I find something that seems to work better.

[Omega1234]

Hi Glenn

After viewing such beautiful craftsmanship as yours, it reinforces the fact that it's hard to put a price on a finely crafted ship model. I think the term "priceless " is entirely appropriate in your case.

Just marvellous!

Cheers

Patrick

Edited May 8, 2016 by Omega1234

[mati]

Amazing!! I can't wait to see finished model. That's gonna be something!

Your blackening looks very nice... gives good grungy finish.
Brass Black is very good solution, but recently I tried JAX products. Also very effective.

Kind regards and looking forward to see your update
Matt

[Louie da fly]

Glenn, for the rivets, have you considered resting your plates on a solid piece of metal with hemispherical holes in it where the rivets are to go? I've done this when "heading" traditional (full sized) rivets that joined two pieces of 1/16" steel sheet. I did the rivets one by one, and rested the unformed rivet head in a hemispherical hole I'd drilled in a piece of railway line. Bash the other end of the rivet a couple of times and you have a nice hemispherical head. This is the way the old 'rivet snap' works. I find the business end of a drill bit makes a hole close enough to hemispherical to pass muster. 

 

I'm not sure I've explained that terribly well. Maybe I should post a diagram of what I mean.

 

But basically, if the plate is supported everywhere except where the 'dimples" of the rivets are, you may not get that deformation of the plates that is so frustrating. The main problem, as I see it, would be getting your hemispherical holes and your punching lined up accurately enough. On the other hand, if anybody can manage that kind of precision, I think you're the one.

 

Steven

[Cathead]

Glenn, great explanation of the partition, thanks. I'm curious: if you were to do the boilers over (and I'm NOT suggesting that you do), how would you approach them differently?

[kurtvd19]

Glean:

Great work and detail.

 

For great looking rivets the Sensipress + along with the Riveter set up by Northwest Short Line Products can't be beat.  The photos show the Sensipress with the Riveter table and the rivets on the boiler sheathing and smoke stack of my model  of the African Queen (prior to paining the pipes).  The arbor holds a male punch and the base holds a female die.  A drill press or better yet a mill could do the exact same thing with your ability to machine the punch and die.  The table makes even spacing a snap.

 

Kurt

[ggrieco]

Thanks Patrick,

 

Matt, Thank you for the tip, I have to admit I haven't heard of JAX but I will look into it. I use a lot of the brass black and am a little concerned about health effects. I'd like to find something With less of a health warning.

 

Steven, what you suggested does sound like a good method. The reason I went with the method I used was that I wanted to understate the rivet heads. In many of these older boilers, the heads are hammered almost flat. I had hoped to just give a hint of them. The problem is, on a flat surface, the punch tends to push the metal outwards into the plane of the sheet, deforming it. Your method would push the metal out of the plane of the sheet eliminating that deformation. I will give it a try on the second boiler and let you know how it works.

 

Cathead, I think my biggest regret was using epoxy to glue everything together and not providing a better clamping system for assembly. When I test fit the plates they mated perfectly. Once I got a little epoxy under them they no longer wanted to sit flush. I rushed to provide more clamps and wedges and it all just got worse. In addition to glue seeping out, the epoxy was just thick enough the provide resistance to the thin brass and deform it. I have never felt that I could rely on super glue long term but I think it would have performed better. I would love to hear what you and other model builders feel about super glue. I once heard that it crystallizes over time and may eventually weaken.

 

Kurt, I like the sensipress and it has done a nice job on your boiler. As I mentioned to Steven, the pocket in the lower die does give the metal somewhere to go and I'm sure it will help with the deformation problem. i will definitely look into this! Thank you.

 

Thanks again everyone for your comments and like. They have all been very helpful.

[kurtvd19]

Glen:

I think C/A is fine for parts w/o stress on them over a long period.  I have some parts that were attached with the original  industrial super glues - Eastman 910 - back in 1968-69 that are still holding well.  They are in a desk drawer and I come across them every so often and check them - last check all was well.  I have models that are 20+ years old with C/A glued parts w/o any failures.  I know your models are going into a museum but for the use on the boiler I wouldn't hesitate to use C/A.  I have a model commission for a museum (unfortunately overdue for delivery)  that I have used C/A on along with Titebond and I am not worrying about either glue. 

 

One thing about the C/A - I have used Bob Smith Industries C/A's for over 20 years and don't use any other kind.  I am very leery of hardware store 'Super Glues" and wouldn't use any of them on a bet - who made it and when?  Bob Smith stuff can be found with their name on the package but the stuff sold with the hobby shop's name on it is by Bob Smith - the Bob Smith name is there in small print but the hobby shop's is most prominent and essentially identical to the stuff under the bob Smith name.  The hobby shop logo on the bottle in the photo replaces the Bob Smith logo/name.

 

They also make excellent epoxies - with the same deal on the name on the label. 

 

Kurt

[mati]

Glenn,
I'm pretty happy with JAX products. Here you have all the products: http://www.jaxchemicals.com/products.html
Of course they are still chemicals... so may cause irritation. Gloves, etc... recommended

They'll give nice permanent effect. Of course if surface 'll be correctly prepare.
Beside common acetone...
I'm using degreaser form Birchwood Casey... but also citric acid (just regular for kitchen... boiling water solution with acid... you just drop the element and acid 'll eat unwanted particles). If you have source... you can use very very light solution of sulphuric acid... dip the elements and acid 'll do work nicely. But let's say this method is for more brave people I guess in US 'll be quite difficult to get it. In Poland somehow is possible... not easy, but possible.  
For final treat before blackening I use to dip the element in kitchen vinegar. It'll create micro porous surface... which helps to hold layer of black.

All of these blackening solution if you will not rinse properly... hmm they 'll eat slowly but surely parts of the element  

I can highly recommend to cover all the metalworks with Microcrystalline Wax. Great stuff to prevent unwanted oxidation.

 

As regards to rivets... are you familiar with Scale Hardware products? 

 

http://www.scalehardware.com/miniature-rivets-c-10

Maybe is not a cheapest way, but rivets are fantastic.
I bought few packs to compare with rivets from one producer from Poland.

http://rbmodel.pl/index.php?action=products&group=018

50pcs = $3

Comparing to Scale Hardware 100pcs = $10

It's just kind of options to upgrade our models.

I'm using for my model combination of different rivets. For hinges I just made them from brass rod. You can see in my recent post.


Uff... I didn't plan to write such a long story... so forgive me

Hopefully I won't get warning from moderators for locating link and names of few company. I don't advertise

Kind regards,
Matt

[Cathead]

Kurt, that's a really useful and interesting perspective. I've read the warnings about CA going brittle, too, but didn't have enough experience to judge. I looked at my bottle, and sure enough although it's Model Expo brand, it's the BSI maker that you recommend. Now I feel better about using it!

 

Glenn, thanks for your answer. It makes a lot of sense, and certainly gave me more to think about for future builds.