City of Monroe by chborgm – FINISHED - Scale ¼” to foot - Western River Steamboat

[Cathead]

Very nice.

[captainbob]

She's really looking good.  nice detailing.

 

Bob

[mtaylor]

Sweet!!!!

[chborgm]

Blighty

 

I checked your log, and I will never get mine aged like yours. I wish I had found you log before I started.  I think what I was aiming for was a model that did not look artificially bright and glossy. 

[Cathead]

I think you've achieved that nicely. The weathered, alternating-stain wood on your build effectively tones down any "newness" and gives it a lot of visual interest.

[Blighty]

I love your build, great work, following with interest.

[chborgm]

I have some of the lights added to the main deck.

T0 hide the wires I grove the 1/8" sub deck. 

 

 

 

[Blighty]

WOW!!

[Cathead]

That's the best-lit outhouse ever! Nice work, this will look fantastic when it's finished (not that it doesn't now).

[chborgm]

I got carried away on that. I first built a two hole house, and that looked to small so I built this one. From I size standpoint it is ok, but for a packet steamer it is to much. I am going to turn down the lights. 

[chborgm]

I have continued to make slow progress. I can't believe how big this is. I should have kept to the 1/8" scale instead of the 1/4". I am glad I had a lot of lumber left from previous work. Anyway here are a couple pics.

 

The first shows the boiler deck planking complete and the false deck for the cabin area with the  lights on.The second shows the rough wiring

 

 

[Blighty]

1/4" scale is a delight to work with, it would have been difficult to get the real-feel with 1/8", at least for me it would.

A great looking model Clarence. Love the wood pile.

 

Len

[chborgm]

I small story about the wood pile. Somehow when I collected the little twigs that I cut up there were some black ants I didn't see. So every day one or two ants show up. Since they didn't have a ticket I killed them. I think I have them all by now.

 

I agree that 1/4" is the best way to go, but it sure take a lot of wood.

Clarence

[chborgm]

Got a start on the boiler deck. As you can see I decided to have the curtains on the doors and widows red. I considered blue,purple and pearl. but decided to stick with the red I had used previously.

I now have to finish with the walls and then have figure how much lightinh will be required.

[Blighty]

Hi Clarence, I think scratch built models hold a certain fascination, at least for me they do. I definitely plan to do one some time down the road but I'm not ready yet. A few more kit builds first.

A couple of questions for you though:-

 

Is it has much fun for you as a kit build? (it seems to be)!

 

Would the Monroe still be the scratch build of choice now you're more informed?

 

Looking in it appears you aced your choices, I think she's an absolute beauty, and I love the freedom to modify for the better you are achieving.

 

Keep up the good work, an envious admirer.

 

Len

 

 

 

 

[captainbob]

She's really looking good.

 

Bob

[chborgm]

Thnaks Bob Up close it has it's faults.

 

Blighty

I picked the Monroe plans because It looked like a typical riverboat . I have changed a fair amount of it. I enlarged the engine room to include what i think would be a kitchen, I converted it to wood because I like the piles of logs, and moved some things around to cover my mistakes. The one thing I learned in this first scratch build is once you start to improvise you creaet a lot of downstream problems that the kit builders solved.  It adds to the enjoyment though, and it uses up a lot of the inventory of wood I had accumulated over the years.

I built the Chaperon and that started by love for steam power, and also I am getting to old to tie a lot of lines

[captainbob]

19 minutes ago, chborgm said:

Thnaks Bob Up close it has it's faults.

 

We don't talk about that in nice circles.

 

Bob

[Blighty]

37 minutes ago, chborgm said:

Thnaks Bob Up close it has it's faults.

 

Blighty

I picked the Monroe plans because It looked like a typical riverboat . I have changed a fair amount of it. I enlarged the engine room to include what i think would be a kitchen, I converted it to wood because I like the piles of logs, and moved some things around to cover my mistakes. The one thing I learned in this first scratch build is once you start to improvise you creaet a lot of downstream problems that the kit builders solved.  It adds to the enjoyment though, and it uses up a lot of the inventory of wood I had accumulated over the years.

I built the Chaperon and that started by love for steam power, and also I am getting to old to tie a lot of lines

I like your thought process, I am travelling down a similar road, my eyesight prevents me from lottsa rigging.

[chborgm]

Sorry it has taken me so long to post anything and am not sure how this new system works

[Cathead]

Really looking nice, Clarence. It hadn't registered until now, but it looks like you're not running a single chimney through the decks but breaking it up on each deck?

[chborgm]

You have a great eye. This is what happens to a first time "scratch builder" who deviates from the plan. I built the big double doors and side windows in the front of the cabin and then went to put the stacks through and found that they would only be a foot away from the cabin structure. So I figured that since I wasn't going to light the boiler up I could move the stack where I I had clearance. 

However I didn't make the mistake I made on my "Mississippi Riverboat" which you picked up The rear stairs have the same pitch. 

In all seriousness Thanks for the comment that is what makes this fun.

[Cathead]

Oh, that was in no way a criticism. In many ways not running the chimneys all the way through makes a lot of sense. I was just curious, especially as I'm starting to think about the design for my next one, and your progress has been inspiring and informative.

[chborgm]

I did not take it that way, and appreciate ever one of them so keep them coming. That is what makes this site great.

Not running them through makes construction easier. I forgot to point out that that thingee in the front is a working searchlight.

[Tecko]

On 3/2/2017 at 6:06 AM, chborgm said:

Thanks Bob Up close it has it's faults.

...

chborgm, what model does not have faults. Actually it is those faults which can give a vessel character, even unknowingly.

However, I know what you mean because to build a model requires a focus bordering on perfectionism. But nobody is perfect.

And if you were perfect, then you would be all alone on top of the mountain. Anybody else would not be good enough to even inspire you.

So be happy with those faults my friend.

 

Besides, what I wanted to post, before I read the above quote, is that I am really enjoying seeing this boat coming together.

I never been on a paddle steamer before and this thread is attracting me to visit one.

Thanks for sharing this build. Keep up the great job.

[chborgm]

Made a little more progress. I found out one of the nicest things of supplied from a kit is all the parts that your require fifty of the same thing, the kit just turns on the laser cutter, and there you have them. In this case I am referring to the railings on the boiler deck. Making the first one was fun, but it became boring after ten or fifteen.Made a little more progress. I found out one of the nicest things of supplied from a kit is all the parts that your require fifty of the same thing, the kit just turns on the laser cutter, and there you have them. In this case I am referring to the railings on the boiler deck. Making the first was fun but then it became a chore. 

Another item that can help is that if you saved the scrap from previous kits laser cuts you can use these on a scratch build. In this case for the filigree at the top of the posts between decks  I used what was left from the railing cut out from the “Mississippi Riverboat “ Kit.

 

Hope the pictures below explain this better.

[chborgm]

I don't know how I screwed up all the text in my words above, but I did. I am old, but shouldn't make thoes mistakes.

[chborgm]

 

I thought I would send an update picture just to let you know I am still here and slowly moving along. The lights are certainly brighter than I would like. I have a couple variable resisters that I am going to try to turn it down a little. I have used 3mm bulbs and a couple yellow ones, but the only yellow ones I had were 5mm and they give off a lot of light

[Cathead]

I agree about the brightness, but the overall effect is still lovely. The window curtains are a nice touch.

[Blighty]

I think she looks great, awesome build.

 

Len