Altair 1931 by KeithAug - FINISHED - Scale 1:32 - schooner

[KeithAug]

Hello Mark - by the end of today it will be clear how it turned out. I hope I don't disappoint.

 

Michael - I find part of the fun is pressing the "saved for a rainy day" stuff into service.

 

Pawel - You made me laugh.

 

Thanks to all of you who continue to take an interest.

 

So here goes with todays first update.

 

The spokes were made by the well documented NRG method.

 

I wanted the jig to be robust so I machined up a dowel into which the spoke profile former was mounted (made from brass tube). I took the opportunity to mark out the axial positions for the spoke contours on the mill (pencil mounted in chuck).

 

 

The lathe is a bit big for making .080 inch diameter spokes so I needed to improvise a bit. Some time ago I made a miniature drill / tapping press from a broken tripod. The tapping shaft was requisitioned.  

 

 

I made the 8 spokes and removed the set up from the lathe. I later broke 3 which had to be remade. I must learn from my experiences and make more than I need. The spokes started life as cocktail sticks.

 

 

I tested the assembly as I went. All going well so far.

 

 

More later - dinner calls.

[KeithAug]

So to finish:-

 

The wheel hub on Altair is made of brass. I made my hub from the barrel of a redundant dart - turned down to 1/4 inch and drilled with 8 radial holes.

 

 

The spokes were coloured with wood dye and then assembled to join the hub and rim. The assembly was glued with CA.

 

 

The shaft (not yet finished) was turned from 1/4 inch brass rod. The wheel is teporarily attached to the pedestal. I still need to varnish the wheel.

 

 

The wheel is really quite fragile so I think I will have to store it away and only attach it as a final operation at the end of the build - still many months away.

[skifflake]

Keith:

    Just beautiful and skilled detail. You are pushing me to much higher standards. I will be watching and learning. Thanks. Pat at Skiff Lake NB

[Nirvana]

Keith

That is an amazing wheel, I will try to replicate the work of yours for my Solo Ruff boat.

Problem is that the wheel of mine is even smaller and the brittania metal is damaged.

 

Major Like to your build.

[Bedford]

Just beautiful, another one added to the memory banks for future reference.

[Jim Lad]

A very realistic wheel, Keith!

 

John

[KeithAug]

Pat, Per, Bedford, John.

 

Glad you liked it and thank you for the positive feedback.

 

A couple of final shots now with the wheel attached to the finished shaft / pedestal.

 

It looks a deal more delicate at its real size. The photos make it look much larger than it is.

 

[KeithAug]

I spent today making a start on the fairleads. The forward fairleads are fairly standard while the rear fairleads have 3 rollers each.

 The fairleads are .875" long x .120" wide by .160" high. I made them from bar which was first machined to .875" wide by .160" thick using a fly cutter.

 

The profile of the fairleads were first formed from a series of holes drilled along the length of the bar and then connected by a .080 diameter end mill. The fairleads were then cut from the bar using a slitting saw.

 

Just to be a bit confusing the dimensions were worked out in millimetres.

The corners were then cut off to give the finished shape (the top has still to be cut)

 

Mounting holes and holes for the rollers were then drilled.

 

 

[Guest Riccardo1966]

Lovely work, inspiring and educational.

Cheers Richard

[kees de mol]

Amazing craftmenship. Your steeringwheel is a work of art and I really like the way you made the blocks.

[Jim Lad]

Yet more beautiful engineering!

 

John

[dvm27]

Sweet work Keith. What thickness is that slitting saw and how many TPI (if it says)?

[KeithAug]

Richard, Kees, John, Greg.

 

Thank you for your supportive comments. Also thank you to all the other visitors who hit the like button.

 

Greg,

 

The slitting saw is 80mm x 0.8mm x 108T. Bought cheap through Amazon - I have bought a number over the years and all have been fine.

 

I finished off the fairleads. The rollers were a bit of a fiddle. Drop them on the bench and they disappear. My eyes are not what they were!!!!!

 

Polishing is quite a satisfying pastime.

 

I also made the fuel / water fillers.

 

Progress is slow but time flies by.

[Jim Lad]

I think I've run out of superlatives, Keith!

 

John

[KeithAug]

Thank you John. Remembering to take my time is my key skill.

[KeithAug]

I had a go at the main boom crutch. On Altair this is a "A" frame - a rather crude affair which has the appearance of being made out of galvanised scaffolding poles. It is quite out of keeping with the other brass deck fittings. I couldn't bring myself to make a crutch that matched the original so I made something a little more in keeping. If I get a flood of derision from the purists among us I'll consider painting it grey.

 

The top bracket has a circular cut out in which the boom rests. I machined this out of bar on the mill. The web was formed by end milling using a rotary table.

 

The bracket was separated from the bar and then the legs were soldered on.

Cleaning up and polishing followed.

 

As a bit of a distraction I made and mounted the stern light.

 

I then made and attached the feet. The crutch lays flat on the deck and pivots up to the vertical when in use. 

But of course not in the position shown in the photo.

Not sure I want to paint this!

 

 

[mtaylor]

You have some sweet metalwork going there Keith.  That boom crutch is as perfect as it gets, just like the rest of your build.

[KeithAug]

Thank you Mark. I'm surprised you have been so forgiving at my departure from absolute authensticity. Particularly as you ripped up the deck just to improve the randomness. Now that's what I call perfectionisim.

[mtaylor]

Keith,

I'm far from perfect and just a newbie at scratch building.    I didn't know you had departed from authenticity, but the work is still beautiful and pleasing.

[Bedford]

Love it and you know what, it's your build and you can put pink sails on her if you like.

If you owned the real thing would you leave the basic one in place or have a better looking one made?

[John Allen]

Keith,

 

Caught up on the build, you have gone way beyond the curve. Kudos

[KeithAug]

Hollo Bedford.

 

Re crutch: I have rationalised the non conformance away by convincing myself that the original crunch was damaged and had to be replaced by a strapped for cash owner. 

 

John.

 

Not so much beyond the curve, more likely "round the bend" - which over here is a euphemism for going mad!

 

Mark.

 

Thank you.

[druxey]

Superlative metalwork, Keith!

[dvm27]

I don't know, Keith. Would you slap a coat of gray paint over the Mona Lisa?

[KeithAug]

Thank you Druxey. 

 

Greg - thank you, good point.

 

Only a little progress today:-

 

I made the mounting feet for the crutch and attached it to the deck. The feet are quite small - a smidgen over 1/8 inch cube.

 

I also made the deck mounting for the "red duster". Made of two parts soldered together and machined.

 

And then polished

 

 

[KeithAug]

Today I did a bit of turning - bollards and the 6 larger winches. The plans only show the 6 deck winches whereas photos / videos clearly show some smaller secondary winches which I will have to make and position.

 

The critical task was marking out the position and making sure that I drilled the mounting holes in the correct position. Check twice cut once was the watchword of the day.

 

Nothing much further to add other than a few photos.

 

 

 

[michael mott]

Just catching up Keith all metalwork is taking this model to the highest levels. Exquisite solution for the fairleads, and the wheel is a knockout.

 

I also like your micro drill.

 

Michael

[Jim Lad]

Just superb, Keith!

 

John

[Guest Riccardo1966]

Hello keith, can't really add higher accolades but it is a delight to see such high standards of work, especially the metal fabrications.

You should leave the crutch unpainted in my opinion, prototypically correct or not it is visually very pleasing .

Cheers Richard

[Bedford]

Interestingly the Sydney Heritage Fleets' steam tug Waratah circa 1903, which I crew, has a very similar looking helm. It has the degrees of rudder and an indicator on the top. Differently to Altair the Waratahs helm is answered by a steam winch that hauls the tiller chains.

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/14711-models-on-a-scale-of-11/#comment-483609

 

No pics of the helm there but nice pics of the fleet, espacially Waratah