Krabbenkutter by Heronguy - Billing Boats Nr 457&458 - Scale 1:30

[popeye the sailor]

yes......there are thinner sheets around    you also have luck looking in the HO train dept.   I've made use of building siding,  as well as other structure sheeting.   I though I kept the package that the sheet brass came in.....but I must have thrown it away      it is very easy to bend and can be cemented on with CA.

 

don't commit if your unsure.......just keep studying the plans and the logs.   I'm sure you'll figure out how thing go 

[Heronguy]

I admire the build logs that just keep showing seemingly continuous progress.  No hesitation as each step is taken.  There may be re-do's but progress still happens.

 

On the other hand I seem to spend more time wondering what to do rather than doing it.  A little frustrating.  I'd like to be able to claim it was thoughtful contemplation of the process but if I'm honest it is really more like what we used to call "analysis paralysis".  At some stage ya just gotta do something!

 

So today I decided that it was time to commit to the deck furnishings.

 

I added a rub rail - I think it looks better than the bare hull.

 

Working from the bow end.

Storage locker propane (I'm informed)

 

Companionway.  The doors are a bit of Alaska Yellow Cedar.  The walls are 2nd planking from my Bluenose II kit. The roof is from the original kit.

 

Skylight

 

 

The winch comes as an assembled unit with the kit.

 

The hatch was just a wooden block so I added a walnut frame around some swiss pear.  (I remember when I got my 1st Macintosh about 30 years(!!!) ago - I felt compelled to use every font in each document just because I could. - Same thing with wood I guess - got use every species on the boat).

 

 

The sorting table was the finicky bit for me.  I had to glue it together 4 or 5 times.  I'm not thrilled with the assembly this time but enough was enough.

 

The wheelhouse was actually the 1st thing I built for the deck.  I made several attempts at cutting pieces (the kit wood only lasted long enough to be a template).  More planking with the Bluenose wood and some birch for trim.  The curved front on the wheelhouse was a small challenge.  Trying to frame the windows was also a bit trying.

 

 

Another skylight on the cabin

 

Then the steamer

 

Finally a vent pipe at the fore companionway.

 

 

Now I have to get back to the nets and rigging for the final chapter on this build.

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

she coming along great Doug..........the deck and pilot house are very well done  

[Heronguy]

Thanks - I'm enjoying it!

[Worldway]

Nice job Doug.  Looking good.

[Heronguy]

Thanks Derek

 

[Heronguy]

It's been a month since I posted.  I decided that was long enough even though progress has been haltingly slow.  This post is a way to keep a bit of momentum on the project.

 

I needed some brass turnbuckles and eyebolts (were missing from my 2nd hand kit) as well as a propeller to replace the one I broke so I ordered from Billing Boats USA.  Good service.  The thread in the kit for rigging was not very inspiring so an order when into Syren Ship Company for some black rigging rope of a couple of sizes. Great service.

 

Some rigging started:

 

I've been fiddling with some brass bits. I needed to attach the radio mast (brass) to the mizzen mast.  I tried superglue but the  joint wasn't strong enough.  I could have done epoxy but became motivated to try to make them from brass strips.  It was less than satisfactory (post somewhere above here).  A trip to the hobby store brought home some thin wall brass tubing in various diameters.  The dremel slicing blade did a good job of cutting the rings off the tubing.  Heated up the the soldering iron and got a more satisfactory construction.   

 

From left to right - 1st attempt with brass strips bent around a mandrel and then soldered. 2nd attempt a bit better. 3rd attempt using rings cut from tubing  was satisfactory to me.  

 

Only problem was that the radio mast is skinny and the tubing wasn't.

 

A DUH! moment when I realized that the radio mast itself was brass and could be soldered directly to the mast ring - I didn't need the double ring.

 

 

I thought it'd be fun to try a really narrow band - the solder joint isn't strong enough!  I've been wondering if I have to step up to sever soldering?  Maybe I'll try that one day soon.  

 

Fixed up the second mast band and mounted it on the mizzen mast. I haven't decided if I need to anything to "hide" the solder which is silver-coloured rather that brass-coloured paint?

 

Now I have to get back to rigging and then hanging the nets.  The netting material provided in the kit is insufficient to make the nets in the plan.  Off to the fabric store to try to find an alternative.

 

It may be another month - or I may be back sooner.

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

she's look'in better and better Doug.   your doing a swell job......keep up the good work.    keep on experimenting........there are many ideas yet to discover  

[Heronguy]

definitely a learning boat!

[popeye the sailor]

to think.......this was my second project.   I finished it before I was done with my first project,  the Nordkap.  I made another pair of nets for the trawler Syborn...I have a log here in the scratch build forum.   I used the supplied netting for the Cux......I thought it was OK.   I did find netting material at the local Hobby Lobby,  but you may find some at a fabric store too.

[Heronguy]

Not much done this week but for the mizzen mast rigging (such as it is) except for a cleat for the halyard.  Next will be the nets!  I've cut out the net material for the first one.  Now I need to sew the 2 halves together - oh joy!

 

[Heronguy]

Stalled on the nets while I find some replacement netting material.  I tried to prepare the net booms but this required soldering on the chains to the brass fittings on the booms.  Regular low temp soldering didn't hold so I decided to try my hand a silver soldering.  I ordered a butane micro torch but received one DOA.  It's in the mail being returned for replacement.  Next update when it finally arrives.

[popeye the sailor]

I use a run of the mill soldering iron.......the solder I use is for electronic work.   what happened to the netting material?

[Heronguy]

Hi Popeye.  There was just not a large enough piece in the kit to cut out the 4 pattern pieces.  I did one net for practice and have been hoping for a trip to town to hunt down some alternative but I've been too busy (or maybe lazy?) to make it there.

 

 I tried the soldering iron and rosin core solder but couldn't get a satisfactory joint.  Silver solder sounds like a good alternative so I'm keen to try it out.  So far in my modelling career (all six months of it) virtually every new challenge has required a new skill (and often a new tool). I'm havin' a good time with both!

[Heronguy]

I had some more fun today.  The Butane micro torch finally arrived and so I go to try silver soldering for the 1st time.

 

As a test I soldered a bit of spare chain to a brass strip.

 

An then to test out the strength of the joint I suspended a couple of hemostats from the chain - 1st try a success!

 

Of course pride before a fall.  When I tried to solder the chain on the net booms  two things happened: the metal in the supplied chain preferred to melt with the same heat as silver solder and  the joints in the support hoops also melted.

 

 

I solved the 2nd problem by resoldering them with "medium" solder instead of "easy" solder.  

 

To deal with the melting chain issue I decided to solder an eyebolt to the supports and then attache the chain to the eyebolt.  I reshaped the eyebolt to provide more surface for solder ( the support piece joints  didn't melt this time!)

here's the joint before soldering - you can see the silver sliver.

 

After soldering

 

An happily here is the finished boom

 

[popeye the sailor]

that's interesting.........the ends on the ones I did were made of plastic.    then again,  you mentioned that this is an older kit.   very nice job of soldering  

[Heronguy]

Then there were 2 

 

Now to get the needle and thread to sew together the nets for the booms.  So many new skills to develop!

[Heronguy]

I planned to finish this about a year ago but I don't like the way that the nets turned out and I haven't go back to the build.  Maybe by acknowleging my frustration I can move on - maybe.

 

The white netting provide with the kit was not large enough to cut the net pieces.  Off to the fabric store and I came back with some black tulle.

 

 

 

 

And there she sits waiting for some renewed entusiasm!

 

[popeye the sailor]

the nets look good!  your close to the finish  

[donrobinson]

Nice touch Doug