US Brig Niagara by cdrusn89 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1/64 scale

[cdrusn89]

Completed installation of all the carronade platforms and their associated train tackles. Also secured one side of the breech tackle while there was no gun in the way. Working to assemble the guns onto their sliding bases and install the various eyebolts and backing plates. I got one of the long guns assembled but the paint job took a beating and it needs some touch-up before it is installed. Working on a better assemby method for the other one.

[cdrusn89]

Six of the seventeen (the "test case" is already competed and mounted) remaining carronades are ready and waiting. Hopefully I can get the other eleven done tomorrow and hopefully get the carronades done over the weekend. Still have not started on the second long gun but have done the touch up on the one that is finished. Pictures tomorrow (hopefully).

[cdrusn89]

All seventeen of the carronades have been mounted to their skids and the associated hardware installed. I need to make up the gun tackles (40 more sets of 1/8" single with becket and 1/8" double blocks) so I can get these secured to their platforms.

 

Here is the port side long gun next to the already mounted carronade. Have to make up the tackles along with those of the carronades. Still working on assembly of the stbd side long gun. (I know the gun looks somewhat "out of square" but that is caused by the camera. The gun is pretty well square.

Edited November 2, 2018 by cdrusn89
typos

[cdrusn89]

I got the port side long gun mounted, the breech and in-haul tackles attached and the rope coils glued on deck. Except for some paint touch up, I think this one is "Done". Trying to make the rope coils was a challenge. I reviewed the topic on the site and finally was able to make the "double-sided tape" method work, at least so far. It is pretty slow, it takes about 5 minutes from start to 50-50 glue for each coil.

[cdrusn89]

Rope coil making is a good past time for "watching" football. You can catch the replays when something impactful happens. During the early game today I made 28 coils. Picture shows them drying after the first application of 50/50 white glue/H2O. At this rate I should have the 80 or so needed by the time Sunday Night Football is over.

 

And I though stropping blocks was a pain.

[Jim Rogers]

Sounds like fun times.

[cdrusn89]

Speaking of rope coils - here is how I made mine. I started with a piece of file folder as a carrier with double sided tape (I used 3/4" wide tape) and a hole in the center. I used the same 0.012" Light Brown Syren line as the gun tackles so hopefully there will be no big color mismatch a piece about 3" long. Pass the line through the hole and tape down to the back side of the carrier. I taped this down to my work pad.

[cdrusn89]

Using a pointed object form a small loop at or near the hole and press the line in the sticky tape. Work your way around this initial loop, pressing the line into the sticky tape and against the existing line. I did 8-9 times around, cut the line as near the carrier as possible and then pressed the end up against the existing coil. Sometimes it would stick, other times not.

Using 50/50 white glue/water, I put a drop on the center of the coil and worked the glue/water mix into the coil with an old paint brush, let it sit for a minute or two, blotted up the excess glue/water, put the carrier in a clamp and set it on workbench to dry. Having both sides of the carrier exposed to the air helps it dry on both sides which will be important later.

Edited November 5, 2018 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

I did the 50/50 glue/water treatment twice, letting the carrier/coil dry overnight after each application.

To remove the coil, turn it over and using a new or very sharp blade cut the line as close to the hole as possible.

[cdrusn89]

Turn the carrier over and using an Xacto flat blade, slide it under the coil. (I generally did this from two or three sides). Then lift the coil off the carrier. Here are the 40 or so that will be used for the train tackles. I tried to keep the size consistent but even using a constant number of loops (not that easy to do by the way, at least for me) keeping a consistent pressure and avoiding small gaps between coils causes some variation is size.

[cdrusn89]

Working to install and rig the carronades on the port side (still need to make up some 1/8" singles w/beckets for the stbd side - waiting for Monday Night Football). Here is the first one completed. The rope coils are all up against the bulwark based on how I rigged the tackles. The plans show the double blocks on the bulwarks so they are hauled from inboard. While the coils can be placed pretty much anywhere (and in real life they were probably not routinely stored in coils on deck - too wet) I wanted them out of the way as much as possible so keeping them close to the bulwark seemed easiest and makes for more direct lead from the blocks to the coils. Still working to get the tackles to "lie correctly" that is with the sheaves more or less vertical but sometimes they will just not cooperate. I need to pay more attention to how the hooks and eyebolts are orientated before hanging the tackles.

Edited November 6, 2018 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

Got the port side cannons mounted, tackles installed, rope coils down and tackle ends connected to the coils. It took much longer than I had estimated. It takes a good deal of concentration and dexterity to get those small hooks onto the even smaller eyebolts. I am glad I mounted the eyebolts while installing the bulwarks. I am not sure I would have had the dexterity to mount them at this point. I noticed more than a few places where the paint on the carronades has been chipped off but think I will wait a bit more before trying to touch them up. I fear there will be more opportunities for this kind of damage.

 

I got the yellow lettering from Woodland Scenics and got the name on the stern. I may have to try and redo the "N" - bottom part of left leg is missing. I think I will leave the bow lettering until after the armament is finished. Those are going to be pretty small letters following the plans. May have to think about how to meet the intent if not the letter of the plans.

 

On to the starboard side!

Edited November 9, 2018 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

The Guns are DONE! (Except for the in-haul tackle which I have made up but will not install the eyebolts until the deck furniture etc. is installed.) Based on discussion on this forum I probably will only have an in-haul tackle and eyebolt for each pair of guns.

 

I have some clean up and a few small items yet to fabricate (ladders and sea steps come to mind immediately but I am sure there are others) and I have to get the deck furniture installed so I can get started on the masts, yards and bowsprit.

[Jim Rogers]

Looking great Cdr.

[cdrusn89]

Thanks Jim 😉

 

Worked to get the deck furniture mounted (except the galley smokestack - too inviting a target for subsequent damage; will install later). Also built  the fore pin rack and boarding ladders. Pin rack is installed, boarding ladders are being painted. As I mentioned way back when, I did not build the Captains skylight or salon skylight because of the interference with operating the capstan. So, the grates fore and aft of the capstan are the salon and Captain's skylights (gratings) while the companionway has been moved aft to where the Captain's skylight is on the plans. Will install the boarding ladders and touch up the paint and then it is "mast and yard time".

[cdrusn89]

This time I really do have all the hatches installed. I noticed after the last post that the two small hatches (galley and lazaret) were missing. I had to do a bit of paint touch-up on them and forgot when I was taking the pictures.  So here is the deck (including the boarding ladders (although they are hard to see) and ALL the hatches this time.

Edited November 17, 2018 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

Based on the discussion on this site I decided to put eyebolts for the in-haul tackle on the centerline so they could serve the guns on both sides. I did three of them. Clearly these would not be rigged until needed as they would be very much in way for any kind of sail handling evolution. I am considering just putting in the eyebolts and hang the tackle over the gun, or in the fore and main pin rails.

 

I am closing up the shipyard until January to take some time off for the holidays (HQ has a very, very long "to do" list). I think I am at a good place to stop with the hull essentially complete. So I cleaned up the mess and stray pieces of wood, wire, line etc. and will cover the hull to keep the dust collection to a minimum.

 

I will be thinking of how to tackle the masts, yards and bowsprit but taking no action until next year.

 

Happy Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all those following the build. I really appreciate the "Likes" and comments, assistance.

[Javlin]

Like the looks of the ship along with the colors kinda of reminds me of WWI  German A/C colorful.The shop looks good to But abit to clean I try with mine but it's a cluster. The office area/modeling room is 7X16 and the wood shop is 22X16 not big enough they never are. Kevin

[cdrusn89]

Shipyard has reopened. Working on anchors and the bowsprit but iPhone camera is acting up so no pictures until I figure out the problem. I'll bet Apple tech support is swamped with folks with new phones for Christmas.

[cdrusn89]

After two false starts (one the starting piece was too short, (where did that short piece of 3/8 X 3/8 come from?) and one where I made the entire piece 8-sided before noticing that the part that goes through the hull remains square) I decided to cut out the top and side views of the bowsprit and glue them on the correct piece of 3/8 X 3/8 kit stock (it will all be painted black so no reason to use something else). I used the disk sander to adjust the profile on the bottom and both sides and then marked and sanded to 8-sided those portions fore and aft of the hull insertion point. Then I rounded the section (except the top) aft of the bees and forward of the hull insertion. Using the disk sander to get closer to the final shape was the right moved. I did all 8-sided one by hand all the way from 3/8 X 3/8 square. Tapering an 8-sided piece of wood (but not the top) too more time and effort than I had imagined. Here are the before and afters - I still have a few pieces to add to the bowsprit but you get the idea.

[cdrusn89]

Except for the two cleats which will go on after the bowsprit is in place (which I have facilitated by drilling locating holes in the bowsprit and corresponding pins in the wooden cleats this hopefully will not be too big a struggle assuming I remember to put the cleats on AFTER inserting the bowsprit though the hull and BEFORE securing it - time will tell) I believe In have all of the fittings required installed. I made the jib boom saddle out of a piece of polystyrene tube cut lengthwise with a scrap of 1/16 x 1/16 wood on either side (hence it is white). I simulated the bobstay wye iron with black laser board (aka thick paper) and an eyebolt. Next is paint and working the jib and flying jib booms. I am going to try to make them out of square section yellow cedar to try and keep all the "bright" wood in yellow cedar. I have not previously tried to make something square round but I seemed to manage on the bowsprit. We will see how that goes.

 

[cdrusn89]

With the bowsprit complete (except for paint) I focused today on getting the rest of the bowsprit pieces finished. In keeping with my desire to have all, of the "bright" wood Alaskan Cedar I fashioned the jib and flying jib booms from square section material as described (more or less) in the kit instructions, leaving those portions 8-sided that were called out in the plans, although they had to be reduced in cross section to match to taper of the spars. I also used a piece of polystyrene tubing to make the flying jib boom iron - two slices glued together with CA. The tubing was 7/32 but had to be reamed out with a #32 drill bit to fit over the jib boom. I was on a roll so I built the sprint sail yard as well but since this is painted I used the kit provided dowel as the starting point.

 

I also decided some time ago to substitute Corel anchors (part A39) for the kit provided ones. I substituted cedar for the provided stock material and used laserboard for the iron straps. I think this one looks better than the kit one.

[jwvolz]

Very nice work!

 

Before you get too far, the stock on your anchor is upside down. The tapered side should be down toward the flukes. It should also sit much higher. See the attached drawing, hope it helps!

[Srodbro]

Joe:

Can you say where your illustration comes from?  Does it have accompanying text?

Grandpa was a blacksmith, and I think there are a couple pieces of iron shaped like those in the pic deep down in the cellar. A reference might help me identify them. 

Thanks. 

[jwvolz]

Steve,

 

I just pulled it off the internet to give you a visual, not sure of the original source. 

[cdrusn89]

Steve,

 

Thanks, I will flip the stock turned over. It is not attached to the shaft at the moment. Might have to redo part of the serving on the ring. I am not sure what processed me to do that - must have seen a picture somewhere. It turned out to be more work than I thought. Might just go back to the plain ring.

 

I spent the day sanding dowels into yards and the gaff and boom for the Spanker. The only thing I managed to complete is the main course yard - here it is ready for paint.

[cdrusn89]

Finished up the details on the yards and Spanker boom/gaff (except for trimming up some of the line "stoppers"). Now to the paint booth for these and on to fabricating the masts. The black you see on some of them was artists charcoal which i rubbed on the section that was to be 8-sided to make it easier to see how much wood was taken off. I learned on the first one that gauging when you have filed/sanded enough was not that easy. They will all be painted black so I was not worried about getting all the smudges removed. Also drilling holes for the eyebolts on the Top Gallant yards proved more  difficult than I had thought. I should have drilled the holes before I tapered the dowel not after. I had to build a jig to hold the tapered dowel steady under the drill press and still I did not get all the holes exactly as I wanted them.

 

I got the needed wood from Syren yesterday so now to figure out how to make the octagon and round and square and tapered masts.

Edited January 8, 2019 by cdrusn89

[cdrusn89]

Got the yards and boom/gaff and bowsprit out of the paint booth with only one missing eyebolt on a top gallant yard. I also remembered the dolphin striker so I fabbed that (remembering to drill the holes BEFORE tapering) and got that attached and painted as well. Trying to decide how to proceed with the bowsprit. Am thinking of building a jig to hold the bowsprit as it will be on the ship and add the jib booms and sprintsail yard and as much of the rigging as possible before I attach it to the hull. I think the jib booms would make to inviting a target for a shirt sleeve to have it on the hull any longer than absolutely necessary.

 

Worked on the fore and main masts, fabricating from the 3/8" X 3/8" yellow cedar. Not as hard as I thought. Getting the center portion round was pretty easy, keeping the top part square while taking off as much as 5/32" on each side was not so easy. The main is done and I cut the tab so I could do a test fit on the hull and found that I had mounted the main fife rail too close to the mast and the spanker mast will not fit. It's what In get for installing the fife rail before the mast - won't make that mistake again. Destroyed the existing fife rail getting it up from the deck so I am back in deck furniture mode for awhile.

[Jim Rogers]

They came out great Cdr.

[cdrusn89]

I redid one of the anchors and the other will be done shortly. The basics for both masts are now complete. Working the fore mast chocks, cross trees and trestle trees. Trying to keep everything aligned is considerably frustrating. Considering buying a laser level/cross level to help.