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Dragon by albergman - Billing Boats - Scratch Update


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Hello again ... my second model posting.


About 40 years ago my wife bought this kit for me and I put it together as well as I could.    This was all pre-internet and I had nothing more to guide me than the instructions in the box.   We were sailors ourselves so I had a pretty good idea how it should work!     Anyway, I just assembled the hull, made a backing board for it and hung it on the wall where it stayed for about 35 years collecting dust.   A few years after I retired I started scratch building as a hobby and decided to tart her up a bit.
 
Here's how she looked when I started stage 2 ...
5947e0d82d8a1_0005StartingPoint.jpg.dd3cfb69b449607f1ef1df0eb6830099.jpg
By now we had the internet and I looked at many Dragons there and just chose what features I liked best and incorporated them into mine.
 
I decided first to plank the deck as it just had the sheet of wood that came with the kit.    Haven't a clue now what I used as caulking in case anyone wants to know.  Have a feeling I scored the tiny gap i left between the planks with a fine triangular file and rubbed something in as caulk.   Cut mahogany strips for a deck edge coaming and as a king plank of sorts.
5947e120a4bba_0040DeckFinished.thumb.JPG.8e787982c04f89aaf7e6f83fc45d488d.JPG
Made a little dog-house from a scrap of mahogany and added a raised coaming with scaled quarter-round around the cockpit and added some nice bases for the winches.
5947e1e965d51_0090Winchesandbases.JPG.4290aa75b4c2ec5068640c956742ad69.JPG
I have a healthy supply of wood scraps so of many varieties so I included them whenever possible.     This floor grating is from cocobolo strips ...
5947e2189c21e_0050CocoboloFloor.jpg.baf933bd870b20b4439bc7010444b4e1.jpg
Tiller uses alternating mahogany and "something else" ... pine maybe?   bent and glued around pins on a board.   Metal fittings scratch made from aluminum scraps. ....
5947e256c1ecd_0070Tiller.jpg.8412634e5ef23065d13bc352abf4c92e.jpg
5947e2716e7f8_0077Tiller.thumb.jpg.8600ed7a41824678062faa4b89cb7272.jpg
5947e7e7738dd_0105Tiller.JPG.60af9f9a6299e4c87b56c1b264c12c97.JPG
Winches and traveller are scratch built too ...
5947e2ae97eda_0100Winch.jpg.1662f0a3e20682237a35b0481352ffc6.jpg
5947e2d90201c_0080Traveller.JPG.286adca963cf076c798d03d3470914f8.JPG
5947e363b13ea_0120CockpitDetails.thumb.JPG.3dab7a487bcf615ac4ea831baf8c8d7f.JPG
Likewise a few deck fittings ...
5947e2ffc2fb2_0080MiscBits.JPG.f7ccdfed327cbe145137e059e47b5413.JPG
This was as far as I  wanted to take the project as I had no interest in making it into a sailing model.   Oh yes, I finished up the keel, made fittings to support a rudder then ran a tube through to which I attached the tiller ... sorry no pictures.
5947e3c9d3fd5_0130SideViewsmaller.thumb.jpg.d4817522e8e112c7a30425d106dd58e2.jpg
5947e3cb38913_0135SideViewsmaller.jpg.18b065566bea68195e68a160b3c4bb43.jpg
5947e3cd03f2b_0140DeckViewsmaller.jpg.f66fc3294e2881108dbc8789bf8f1416.jpg
However, good friends of ours make boat cradles for a living so I had to make something they'd approve of so some nice mahogany scraps were selected for the purpose.  
IMG_0003.thumb.JPG.3f199d4e11384a05b2104e96069be76d.JPG
  I had to make proper tilting supports too so they were scratched from small bolts.
5947e4743702d_IMG_0066small.jpg.f56fe2fa1e2bc5b2148a271bd9a723bd.jpg
IMG_0002.thumb.JPG.3f76855cc7be0eafc6660d83a1b9f09c.JPG
So that's where she stands today and has resumed her duties as an excellent dust collector!!
 
Thanks for looking in.
 
Frank

Finished Builds: Half Hulls of Alberg 37, Thunderbird 26, Contessa 26, Beneteau 51 Idylle

 

                     :  Billings Dragon kit Revisited

 

                     :  Trojan 36 Sport Fishing boat

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Frank - 

 

Welcome to the MSW family.  No need to feel in any way intimidated by this collection of in-laws and outlaws.  Your beautiful work speaks for you.

 

What machines and techniques do you use to get such precise aluminum fittings?

 

Congratulations on the successful models and thanks for sharing them with us.

 

Be well

 

Dan

 

Current build -SS Mayaguez (c.1975) scale 1/16" = 1' (1:192) by Dan Pariser

 

Prior scratch builds - Royal yacht Henrietta, USS Monitor, USS Maine, HMS Pelican, SS America, SS Rex, SS Uruguay, Viking knarr, Gokstad ship, Thames River Skiff , USS OneidaSwan 42 racing yacht  Queen Anne's Revenge (1710) SS Andrea Doria (1952), SS Michelangelo (1962) , Queen Anne's Revenge (2nd model) USS/SS Leviathan (1914),  James B Colgate (1892),  POW bone model (circa 1800) restoration

 

Prior kit builds - AL Dallas, Mamoli Bounty. Bluejacket America, North River Diligence, Airfix Sovereign of the Seas

 

"Take big bites.  Moderation is for monks."  Robert A. Heinlein

 

 

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Welcome to MSW Frank. I have to concur with Dan. Your work is impressive and beautiful.  What scale are you working from ?

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Hi Dan and thanks for the warm welcome and kind words.    You're right on that I do feel a bit "out-of-place" maybe with my choice of subjects and my approach to model building.   This is all something I just started in the last few years since I retired so I'm honing all new skills.

 

Re: machinery and techniques ... I have a band saw and a collection (8 I think) of Dremels (Chinese knock-offs) all with flex-shafts and different tool-bits.    In the last 6 months I bought a hobbyist metal lathe but that has only made some wire wheels for my latest racing car model.

 

So, to answer your question it's all done with hacksaw and files ... maybe 200 by now, then wet-sanding the aluminium and working up to 1000 grit then metal polish.

 

I dismantle and save all kinds of machinery ... old computers, hard drives, VCR's etc so I have a stash to sift through for something appropriate to make a part.

 

Computer hard drives are a favourite as they are cast in a reasonably soft alloy that's nice to work with and polishes well.

 

Here's a selection of pics showing how I made a pair of fairleads for a friend's half-hull Beneteau 51 using a hard drive chassis ...

 

Dremeled out the rough shape with a rasp-type tool ...

20160123_145019.thumb.jpg.ebb02e6c856c6a39177d209a972d51ce.jpg

File to shape further ...

 

20160123_145408.thumb.jpg.eed8d08ce57b154631b20c83e9d43e43.jpg

Hacksaw the piece out ... 

20160123_145630.thumb.jpg.9c6c7de120f2a1cbe61bfba43ecec6c9.jpg

Tiny pieces I usually Crazy Glue to an arborite sample so I can fine finish it

20160123_151520.thumb.jpg.4a86de96b888a7ca9d83e2f32a2a3d52.jpg

These fittings aren't needed to be finely polished but enough to replicate the real part.

20160123_151552.thumb.jpg.3923aaaefcdf21f74937a3540b218985.jpg

Hope this is helpful Dan.

 

Frank

 

 

Finished Builds: Half Hulls of Alberg 37, Thunderbird 26, Contessa 26, Beneteau 51 Idylle

 

                     :  Billings Dragon kit Revisited

 

                     :  Trojan 36 Sport Fishing boat

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53 minutes ago, albergman said:

Hello again ... my second model posting.


About 40 years ago my wife bought this kit for me and I put it together as well as I could.    This was all pre-internet and I had nothing more to guide me than the instructions in the box.   We were sailors ourselves so I had a pretty good idea how it should work!     Anyway, I just assembled the hull, made a backing board for it and hung it on the wall where it stayed for about 35 years collecting dust.   A few years after I retired I started scratch building as a hobby and decided to tart her up a bit.
 
Here's how she looked when I started stage 2 ...
5947e0d82d8a1_0005StartingPoint.jpg.dd3cfb69b449607f1ef1df0eb6830099.jpg
By now we had the internet and I looked at many Dragons there and just chose what features I liked best and incorporated them into mine.
 
I decided first to plank the deck as it just had the sheet of wood that came with the kit.    Haven't a clue now what I used as caulking in case anyone wants to know.  Have a feeling I scored the tiny gap i left between the planks with a fine triangular file and rubbed something in as caulk.   Cut mahogany strips for a deck edge coaming and as a king plank of sorts.
5947e120a4bba_0040DeckFinished.thumb.JPG.8e787982c04f89aaf7e6f83fc45d488d.JPG
Made a little dog-house from a scrap of mahogany and added a raised coaming with scaled quarter-round around the cockpit and added some nice bases for the winches.
5947e1e965d51_0090Winchesandbases.JPG.4290aa75b4c2ec5068640c956742ad69.JPG
I have a healthy supply of wood scraps so of many varieties so I included them whenever possible.     This floor grating is from cocobolo strips ...
5947e2189c21e_0050CocoboloFloor.jpg.baf933bd870b20b4439bc7010444b4e1.jpg
Tiller uses alternating mahogany and "something else" ... pine maybe?   bent and glued around pins on a board.   Metal fittings scratch made from aluminum scraps. ....
5947e256c1ecd_0070Tiller.jpg.8412634e5ef23065d13bc352abf4c92e.jpg
5947e2716e7f8_0077Tiller.thumb.jpg.8600ed7a41824678062faa4b89cb7272.jpg
5947e7e7738dd_0105Tiller.JPG.60af9f9a6299e4c87b56c1b264c12c97.JPG
Winches and traveller are scratch built too ...
5947e2ae97eda_0100Winch.jpg.1662f0a3e20682237a35b0481352ffc6.jpg
5947e2d90201c_0080Traveller.JPG.286adca963cf076c798d03d3470914f8.JPG
5947e363b13ea_0120CockpitDetails.thumb.JPG.3dab7a487bcf615ac4ea831baf8c8d7f.JPG
Likewise a few deck fittings ...
5947e2ffc2fb2_0080MiscBits.JPG.f7ccdfed327cbe145137e059e47b5413.JPG
This was as far as I  wanted to take the project as I had no interest in making it into a sailing model.   Oh yes, I finished up the keel, made fittings to support a rudder then ran a tube through to which I attached the tiller ... sorry no pictures.
5947e3c9d3fd5_0130SideViewsmaller.thumb.jpg.d4817522e8e112c7a30425d106dd58e2.jpg
5947e3cb38913_0135SideViewsmaller.jpg.18b065566bea68195e68a160b3c4bb43.jpg
5947e3cd03f2b_0140DeckViewsmaller.jpg.f66fc3294e2881108dbc8789bf8f1416.jpg
However, good friends of ours make boat cradles for a living so I had to make something they'd approve of so some nice mahogany scraps were selected for the purpose.  
IMG_0003.thumb.JPG.3f199d4e11384a05b2104e96069be76d.JPG
  I had to make proper tilting supports too so they were scratched from small bolts.
5947e4743702d_IMG_0066small.jpg.f56fe2fa1e2bc5b2148a271bd9a723bd.jpg
IMG_0002.thumb.JPG.3f76855cc7be0eafc6660d83a1b9f09c.JPG
So that's where she stands today and has resumed her duties as an excellent dust collector!!
 
Thanks for looking in.
 
Frank

Hi Frank,

 

your "Dragon" looks beautiful  !

 

Nils

Current builds

-Lightship Elbe 1

Completed

- Steamship Ergenstrasse ex Laker Corsicana 1918- scale 1:87 scratchbuild

"Zeesboot"  heritage wooden fishing small craft around 1870, POB  clinker scratch build scale 1:24

Pilot Schooner # 5 ELBE  ex Wanderbird, scale 1:50 scratchbuild

Mississippi Sterwheelsteamer built as christmapresent for grandson modified kit build

Chebec "Eagle of Algier" 1753--scale 1:48-POB-(scratchbuild) 

"SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" four stacker passenger liner of 1897, blue ribbond awarded, 1:144 (scratchbuild)
"HMS Pegasus" , 16 gun sloop, Swan-Class 1776-1777 scale 1:64 from Amati plan 

-"Pamir" 4-mast barque, P-liner, 1:96  (scratchbuild)

-"Gorch Fock 2" German Navy cadet training 3-mast barque, 1:95 (scratchbuild) 

"Heinrich Kayser" heritage Merchant Steamship, 1:96 (scratchbuild)  original was my grandfathers ship

-"Bohuslän" , heritage ,live Swedish museum passenger steamer (Billings kit), 1:50 

"Lorbas", river tug, steam driven for RC, fictive design (scratchbuild), scale appr. 1:32

under restoration / restoration finished 

"Hjejlen" steam paddlewheeler, 1861, Billings Boats rare old kit, scale 1:50

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27 minutes ago, Jack12477 said:

Welcome to MSW Frank. I have to concur with Dan. Your work is impressive and beautiful.  What scale are you working from ?

Hi Jack 

 

Appreciate the complement.   As far as scale goes ... hmmm ... well the Dragon was a kit so I don't know what that was.   I do always build to scale but not necessarily one you would have heard of LOL!!    The choice is usually determined by whomever I'm building for ... "how long do you want it Dave?" kind of approach then I scale my drawings accordingly on the computer and print them.    The Trojan powerboat  was about 26" long and had an odd genesis.  I knew I'd have to find stainless metal rod to do all of the one-inch railings required and until then I couldn't proceed.   I finally found stainless welding rods at a decent size so their diameter (1.2 mm I think) became the requisite 1" rails and that decided the scale of the entire model.

 

Frank

Finished Builds: Half Hulls of Alberg 37, Thunderbird 26, Contessa 26, Beneteau 51 Idylle

 

                     :  Billings Dragon kit Revisited

 

                     :  Trojan 36 Sport Fishing boat

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Hi Frank

this is beautiful build. I admire your eye for "functional" detail. Those winches and all the hardware returns me couple of months back when sailing in Netherlands and spotted one of Johan Anker's design: Iduna laying in our harbor. Although different class of boat, wooden beauty and graceful lines are so similar and appealing! Will keep an eye on this build!

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."

 

Completed: Smuggler

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, dvm27 said:

That's a beautiful model, Frank,  and I equally love the innovative yacht display stand.

Thanks Greg.    It's actually just a miniature replica of the style used for real yachts here in Ontario.    I don't think anyone ever finished one to this level though!  LOL.

 

4 hours ago, juhu said:

Hi Frank

this is beautiful build. I admire your eye for "functional" detail. Those winches and all the hardware returns me couple of months back when sailing in Netherlands and spotted one of Johan Anker's design: Iduna laying in our harbor. Although different class of boat, wooden beauty and graceful lines are so similar and appealing! Will keep an eye on this build!

Juhu ... thanks too.   It was fun to look at many of the beautiful Dragons still maintained in pristine condition and choose what features to include.   We should all be eternally grateful to Mr Ankers and others of that era for their purity of design.    Great to some of those aesthetics coming back to modern yachts albeit in the super high end.

 

3 hours ago, mcpwilk said:

Absolutely stunningly beautiful. I use black cartridge paper strips for caulking.

 

Mike

Mike ... thanks.    Not sure what you mean by cartridge paper?   Could you expand on this for me?

 

Frank

 

Finished Builds: Half Hulls of Alberg 37, Thunderbird 26, Contessa 26, Beneteau 51 Idylle

 

                     :  Billings Dragon kit Revisited

 

                     :  Trojan 36 Sport Fishing boat

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