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

[Cathead]

Seems tolerably acceptable.

[kurtvd19]

Glen:
Great work - as usual.  These will be world class models when finished.

Kurt
 

[captainbob]

With nothing in the picture to show scale, she looks full size.

 

Bob

[cog]

Seems tolerably acceptable.

You shouldn't exaggerate ...

[mtaylor]

<looks at pictures><jaw drops to floor> 

[dvm27]

Wonderful work, Glen. Did you need Novocaine to facilitate the amputation of those beautiful, healthy flywheels? 

[ggrieco]

Thanks everybody!

 

Greg, I think I could have used a shot of whisky first but i breathed a real sigh of relief when it was over and the two mated correctly. I was so afraid of laying them out improperly. I hated to cut them but it made future construction a little easier.

 

Glenn

[cog]

 

I hated to cut them but it made future construction a little easier.

 

Then why cut them and instead accept the (slightly ?) more difficult construction ...

[Jim Lad]

That looks fairly reasonable.  

 

Magnificent work (as usual).

 

John

[gjdale]

Fabulous Glenn!

[michael mott]

Glenn I am not sure that I would have been able to cut up the flywheel....I would have faked the waterline in that area.

 

Stunning work all the same.

 

Michael

[albert]

Very very nice work.

[ggrieco]

With the deck finally complete on the second model,  i was able to convert my mill from a thickness planer back to a mill.  I have been putting off turning the paddlewheel shafts because they have hexagonal bosses that require a dividing head on the mill.  This week I was able to make some progress on the paddlewheels. 

 

Turning the paddlewheel shafts.

 

Milling the hexagonal bosses.

 

 

 

Test fitting the paddlewheel flanges.  On Heroine, all of the flanges were damaged to some extent.  A few had several of the arms broken off and were reinforced by flat iron strap.  Next week I will reproduce this damage and repairs.

 

 

Bearing timbers in place with iron tie rods.

 

 

 

Paddlewheel spokes fresh from the mill.

 

 

The mill cuts the mating pieces so accurately, there is almost no fitting required.  Just a little clean-up and they slid tightly into the channels in the flanges.

 

Test fit of the starboard paddlewheels.

[ndeconte]

AMAZING work!?

Edited March 5, 2016 by ndeconte

[GLakie]

Amazing work Glenn! 

[druxey]

Bee-utiful, Glenn!

[steamschooner]

I am thinking oh my gosh he's going to have to cut the bottoms of the paddle wheels off on the waterline model!

[texxn5]

Wow Glenn, very impressive. I'd love to be able to handle the machine tools for building something like this. Is it possible to stop by some time and view this magnificent build? I live about 30 minutes from College Station, and sometimes the Admiral and I venture up there to see an old friend (former Aggie 102 years old). He was a Petroleum Engr., and I think even has a building named for him - name is Mike Dillingham. We also like Abuelo's which is main reason we go there. It gives us a chance to take the little red car for an afternoon venture. I'll be following this log...great!

John

[EdT]

Extraordinary work, Glenn.  Bravo!

 

Ed

[ianmajor]

My goodness Glenn, that is stunning.

[Cathead]

Wow. So pretty.

 

Glenn, I'm curious. I assume you're going to have to cut the wheels down, too, as steamschooner said. What is the reason for building the fly and paddle wheels whole and then chopping them, versus using your CAD and mill to just make them precisely cut off in the first place?

[dvm27]

Brilliant work, Glenn, as usual. Those brass paddlewheel shafts - is your lathe CNC controlled or are they turned freehand?

[wyz]

Glenn

     I'm jealous I don't have the machines and the metal working knowledge to do something like this.  It simply makes my appreciation of what you're doing all the greater.  You are showing all of us you are a master craftsman of the 1st order.

 

Tom

[michael mott]

Excellent work Glenn.

 

Michael

[Jim Lad]

What can I say except - up to your usual standard!

 

John

[ggrieco]

Thanks everybody,

 

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, likes and advice. I do feel like cutting the flywheels may not have been the best way to go and I'm reconsidering how to display the flywheels. Now that the lower half of the hull is missing, I have to come up with an idea that won't look awkward. One idea I've considered is to have the model up on a plinth that is textured and painted to look like water on top. The paddle wheels would be cut at water level only on the port side. On the starboard side, the plinth would be cut away to show a complete paddle wheel. Since there will be cutaways of the superstructure on the starboard side to show the machinery, this would be keeping with that theme. Any ideas for not having to cut the paddle wheels would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cathead, yes, it would have saved me some time to cut the rims with the mill but, I was afraid if I didn't have the complete circle it would be hard to guarentee the shape. When reassembling the original wheel, it was amazing how flexible the cast iron actually was. We had to continually measure and retighten the bolts to get a true shape. I was afraid it would be just too flexible with the small brass pieces.

 

Greg, all my lathe turning is freehand. There are times when I wish I had a cnc lathe - like making the carronades for Jefferson - but lathe turning is something I love to do and prefer (most of the time) to do it by hand.

 

Glenn

[albert]

Hi Glenn your works is fantastic.

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, Glenn. The precision and attention to detail are outstanding.

 

Steven

[ianmajor]

Glenn,

 

I do hope you work out a way to avoid cutting any part of the wheels for the final display. To cut these masterpieces in any way would be a tragedy.

[Omega1234]

Hi Glenn

 

I'm not actually sure why, but, for some reason I've lost track of your log. I've gone through it now in total disbelief. To say that I'm totally gob smacked at what you've done, is an understatement. I can't even bend a brass wire without stuffing it up, which makes my admiration of your superb workmanship only more apparent.

 

Unbelievable!

 

Cheers and all the best.

 

Patrick

Edited March 6, 2016 by Omega1234