US Brig Niagara by Tom E - Model Shipways - 1:64 Scale

[MESSIS]

Guns and gunports fit great! Your gun makers made an excellent job! I gave them a closer look and I indeed confirm that... and gunports are clean and 100% geometrical.

Edited December 16, 2018 by MESSIS

[schooner]

Tom, I just came upon your build - nice work! Are the carronades you are using the ones that came with the kit or are they aftermarket?

[Tom E]

Tim, 

The carronades are from the kit.

Actually, the entire build so far has been from the kit.

Only thing I upgraded was rope and blocks. 

 

Tom E 

[Tom E]

Evening, 

Hope everyone's having a great Holiday so far! 

 

Have the next four days off from work, and all chores have been done. 

Even baked a fresh blueberry pie!

 

Not much of an update tonight as a query. 

 

With the Cannon/Carronade essentially done, minus rigging, I'm focusing on the inside bulwarks. Cleats, eyebolts, touch up painting....etc. 

The deck furniture is coming along nicely. Main hatch should be getting its gratings soon and the Bilge pump will be next.

 

I started with the Mooring cleats.

While sanding/prepping these little guys I was studying the plans. 

I notice there are eyebolts peppered through out the planksheer.

 

These are "in addition to" the cannon rigging eyebolts? Right?  

That's how I'm seeing it right now. 

 

Some seem to be right on top of where some cannon eye bolts would be. 

 

 

Tom E 

 

 

[JerseyCity Frankie]

14 hours ago, Tom E said:

 

I notice there are eyebolts peppered through out the planksheer.

 

 

 

 

I too have been vexed by trying to map out these extra eyebolts. Many of them  are for running rigging and are for fixing the lower blocks and standing parts in tackle arrangements. You can see the blocks fixed to the edge of the deck in many photos of the real ship. Annoyingly, some of these blocks are hidden behind coils from the pinrails.

[Tom E]

Evening, 

 

From what I've found In the plans some of these eyebolts are needed,

Others may not be?

 

Example, 

One is for the Royal Backstay, Port and Starboard...….need this one.

Another is for the Spanker Boom Topping Lifts and Vangs.

Can these be left out if not rigging with sails?

 

Tom E 

 

[Tom E]

Evening, 

Happy New Years! 

Probably one of the better nights to just stay home, cook something awesome, and hang out in the Shipyard.

That's exactly where I've been...….all day!  Its been awesome!

 

The Fife Rail needs just one more coat of black and I'll call it done.

 

The Main Hatch is done.

You get a few of these coamings under your belt and it gets a bit easier.

The toughest part of the supplied grating is keeping it lined up.

If you don't keep track of it, it will wander!

It came out pretty well in the end.

 

Decided to start the process of hanging block on the Main mast.

Per the plans, the inner row is 1/8 singles and the outer rows are doubles.

These are Syren blocks.

I glue a length of rope to one edge of the block. 

Feed an eyebolt thru the rope then wrap and glue the rope to the other side of the block.

Where they meet they are trimmed.

Its ok...…..I'm getting better at it.

These are setting up and will be trimmed.

A hole will be drilled completely thru the Crosstrees.

Any excess wire is trimmed, and sanded, from the top. I feel this gives it a good anchor in the Crosstrees.

 

Tom E 

 

 

[cdrusn89]

On 12/27/2018 at 8:21 PM, Tom E said:

Evening, 

 

From what I've found In the plans some of these eyebolts are needed,

Others may not be?

 

Example, 

One is for the Royal Backstay, Port and Starboard...….need this one.

Another is for the Spanker Boom Topping Lifts and Vangs.

Can these be left out if not rigging with sails? 

 

Tom E 

 

Tom.

 

 

[cdrusn89]

Tom,

Not sure what happened above but you probably need the spanker boom topping lift to hold the boom end unless you are going to add a boom rest support. With the boom sheet pulling the boom down you will need something to counteract that.

 

I am restarting work on my Niagara after a 6 week hiatus while on a vacation (and working down the "please do" list). I am a little behind you - have the hull, guns and deck furniture pretty much complete but have not done anything on the bowsprit, masts or yards yet.

[Tom E]

Gary, 

Appreciate the advice.

I'm going to rig that topping lift. Its a big part of the Spanker, in my eyes, and the more I look at it, the more It should be rigged in.

It will look better with it.  

 

Glad to have you back.

I was watching your build.

 

Tom E 

 

 

[cdrusn89]

Tom,

Have you found the bowsprit cap? The parts list says it is on the sheet pictured below but those are the mast caps for the top mast sections and I can't find the bowsprit cap anywhere else on the laser cut sheets.

 

[Tom E]

The way I have it right now....

I used the ones in your pic for the Bowsprit Cap, they must cut an extra one.

The Lower Caps I used are from the sheet that has the pre cut Waterways and Catheads.

 

The Fore and Main Top mast caps I took from the sheet that has the Long Gun Carriage parts. 

 

Tom E 

[cdrusn89]

Thanks, got it, but I am going to have to make that upper hole round so the jib boom will pass through. I don't see anything in the plans to indicate that the jib boom is other than round or octagonal cross-section.

[Tom E]

Evening, 

Taking a break from the Shipyard to watch some playoff football.

Fresh order of nachos dripping with cheese and goodies in the oven!

 

Figure I would update the build.

A few things done, some still ongoing. 

 

I finished stropping the blocks for the Main mast crosstrees.

Not my best, but I'm getting better. 

They were installed easy enough. 

Per the plans, the inboard row are singles. 

In my rush to hang the blocks.....I forgot to install the Chocks and Blocks. 

These are glued in, then cut to shape and sanded. There probably half the size they are in the pic when done. 

This means most of the black area will get another coat of black.

 

I've started the Bilge pump.

 

The handle will get shaped/sanded then a dark stain, I don't want to paint it.

The bottom part will be painted per the plans.  

Some brass strip will wrap around at the top and bottom. 

Using a #76 drill, made the hole for the iron in the middle. 

Using some of the thick stock wire from the kit.

As toward where the Iron meets the handle, I'm undecided. 

I might just have the Iron enter into the wooden handle itself, or, try and solder something like I've seen on other builds. 

Never done it and I don't want to burn the house down!

 

Tom E 

 

 

 

[MESSIS]

Good jobTom.Nice blocks! Did you made them yourself?

 

Christos

[Tom E]

Christos, 

I cant take any credit for the blocks.

These are aftermarket blocks from Syren Ship Model Co.

 

Quality product. I've replaced all kit supplied blocks with these.

I'll also be replacing all the kit supplied rope with rope from Syren. 

 

Tom E 

[MESSIS]

Oh this what am intending to do by my next model. But I hoped that it was you that made them and so I was going to ask you to show me the way.. considering that  Syren items are great but they add to the kits cost.

 

Thank you Tom E

 

 

.

Edited January 10, 2019 by MESSIS

[Tom E]

Evening, 

Busy Saturday, but all was done. Pretty cold in the Northeast tonight, below zero temps!

The Shipyard is toasty warm with playoff football on...….go Pats! 

The only thing cold in the Shipyard tonight is the beer! 

 

Building continues. 

The Mooring Cleats are painted and ready to place. 

Hope to have pics of these installed soon. 

Started to bring together the pieces for the Aft Fife rail. 

 

Lots of notching and solid joints. 

I would say the toughest thing about Fife rails is just keeping alignment.

Don't want a side bar hooking to far out or inward. 

 

Admittedly, the below Fife rail is the second attempt. 

The first one, well.....it was pretty sad. A good laugh and learn moment!

Should serve its purpose well!

For some odd reason I never started to stain the Bowsprits jibs after I made them. 

With things coming together onboard, they need there stain. 

I used an "Early American" stain, its dark which is what I want. 

Below is only one coat with no sanding just yet. 

I'm thinking 2-3 coats with sanding in between. 

I've also started to shape the Spanker Mast. 

Stay warm, 

Tom E 

 

 

 

[cdrusn89]

Nice and warm here in Florida too - low 60s now, high of 80 tomorrow😎

[cdrusn89]

Tom,

Burton pendants - they are shown in the plans (sheet 5, very top left hand corner) and in the period rigging book I have (Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson) but they appear to just hang there (along with the top mast shrouds although the book shows them at the top of the lower masts also). I can't see anywhere in the plans where something is attached to them. If they really just hang there I will probably not include them. There is sooooo much rigging here I am looking for way to simplify things. Any thoughts?

Edited January 15, 2019 by cdrusn89

[mikiek]

I think Burton Pendants were used to hoist items from dock to hold. They would have been secured when underway. Believe it or not I've had several people ask that question about loading. I was able to show just how it was done.

 

Syren makes grates that are a good substitute for kit pieces. The come either in a flat frame or slightly curved frame to lay on the centerline of the deck. Are you sure thats how those pieces are supposed to lay Tom? If you stay with those I seem to remember strips laid across to form a grid. You lay one set of the strips pointed side up and the other set at 90 degrees pointed side down. They will mesh together that way.  Also you may want to cut the corners out of a few forward grates. The anchor lines will run from the hawsers, down the deck and into the cutouts. These would also have been where balls were handed from below deck up to the gun deck.

[cdrusn89]

Mike,

 

[cdrusn89]

Mike,

The kit instructions show either method (interlocked as you suggest or the way Tom did them) but prefers the way Tom did it as it produces a thinner grating. I used Syren grating on my Niagara in yellow cedar to match the deck which I did in yellow cedar too.

[Tom E]

Gary, 

I agree with you about the Burton pendants. I probably leave them out as well.

This is my first wooden build, the rigging is confusing enough.

That's one less thing to worry about. 

 

Mike, 

Long time no see, glad to have you back!

Gary is right, of the 2 ways to lay the grating, I went with that one. 

I tried both. Felt more confident with that method. 

I haven't upgraded to Syren grating on this build, but definitely my next.

Haven't even bought them yet. 

 

I like that idea about the holes in the grating....that I will do. 

Is it the Main hatch that has the cut outs?

 

Thanks, 

Tom E 

 

[cdrusn89]

Tom,

I think the anchor rode went into the fwd hatch. It would have cluttered up the deck too much running all the way back to the main hatch IMHO. Here is what I did. The hawse and these are painted gray to simulate the lead that was likely used to reduce abrasion to the anchor cables as they were handled.

[Tom E]

Gary, 

When I made my Forecastle hatch, I chose the alternative version with a solid roof, no grating.

Being my first ever try at a piece of ships furniture, guess I bailed out and went with the easy version!  

 

Is it acceptable to place the same kind of corner cut outs in the solid covering?

Seems like an easy fix in my mind. 

Simple round cuts with some blackened brass tube inside. Roll a lip on the top side of the brass tube. 

 

Tom E 

 

[cdrusn89]

Tom,

 

Clearly there would have to have been some way to get the anchor rode through the hatch. Maybe they only had the anchors connected to the rode "as needed" although Lake Erie is shallow enough most places that anchoring would have been at least possible. I am not sure what would happen on my version in heavy weather probably disconnect the anchors (not very useful in heavy weather) and put the solid hatch as you have it over the grating. You could just leave the anchor rode off the model or just run them to the hawse and not worry about it beyond that.

[Tom E]

Evening, 

Since there's a snowstorm outside, its all inside sports this weekend!

Sure enough, that means the Shipyard for this guy! 

There forecasting 18-24 inches of snow with a swath of 30 inches right thru my area.

I love a good snowstorm.....as long as the power stays on for the Patriots game!  Go Pats! 

 

The drinks are cold and the Shipyard is toasty.

I have got some things done. 

 

The Mooring chocks are in. 

Longer process to paint them than install. 

They will get some touch up paint before I call them done. 

 

The mast board is getting filled.

I take no credit for this thing, I've seen others use it and its awesome. 

Should help with the rigging things off ship. 

Helps with shaping the Spanker mast. 

I included the below pic to show Hawse pipes that were drilled out. 

Like the hole for the Tiller, no power tools. 

I used a 1/8 drill bit with my fingers. Slowly and deliberately.

I had some wood breakage, but nothing some sanding and paint wont hide. 

 

Drilling these things was like drilling into my own arm.

Intentionally drilling into something that took hours to make!

With every crack of the wood....ouch!

Had to include the below pic. 

The snow is like a thousand diamonds in the light.

Its better in person!

 

Tom E 

 

 

 

[cdrusn89]

Don't forget the spanker boom rest and the mast hoops before you glue up the spanker/main mast assembly. Don't ask me how I know.

[AON]

She's white up here also.

Guess your getting our left overs!

😂

 

Edit😆

My mistake

is coming from the southwest

We (Niagara Region in southern Ontario Canada) are getting your (USA)  left overs

😥

Edited January 20, 2019 by AON