Chaperon by Brucealanevans - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:48

[Brucealanevans]

OK, first the good.

Made the stacks and primed them - put in place without glue pending painting and blackening the rod connecting them.

Then on to the paddle wheel. Fiddly but not really hard.

Also took some time to make turnbuckles as I don't like the flat brass ones that come in the kit (Thanks Kurt). These are a half inch long. Will touch up the paint once they're installed.

I found a long bit of copper chain in my stash and I believe I will (at least try) to use chain for the hog "chain" - I gather cable was most often used instead of chain but I think I like the look of the chain so will try that.

First though I'll put the trim on the roof of the Texas cabin so the hog chain rigging doesn't get in the way of my clumsy fingers as I fuss with that what with CA and clamps and all, and them glue on the pilot house and fasten its tie-downs.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Brucealanevans

[Brucealanevans]

Now the not so good ...

It seems with every build I screw something up that needs a work around. Each model has something my eyes go straight to with regret.

In this case, I managed, way back at the beginning, to install the pieces that the wheel rests on UPSIDE DOWN! So they are curved on the top, and straight on the bottom.

I fussed a bit, but there was no way to unglue/pin them without risking major destruction.

I noticed this when looking at the template for the stern timbers and saw they expected a straight line attachment. The curve not only meant the timbers had to be longer and angled, but screwed up the angle of the timbers so that I had to put a small extension on the top where they connect to the aft hog chain post in order to clear the deck and the (eventual) placement of the decorative railing.

So a day's work fitting a solution with which I'm not totally happy but it's the best I can do. Sigh.

Thank goodness these things are made of wood.

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Brucealanevans

[Cathead]

For what it's worth, I'm not sure about Chaperon's later era, but in my understanding the hog "chains" on earlier boats were generally solid metal rods, not cables or chains, meaning they can be simulated with straight brass rod. I assume Kurt knows the proper details for Chaperon.

 

Model's looking great. I see what you mean on the wheel timbers, I didn't notice in the oblique views of your first post but it's more clear in the side views. The good news, at least, is that no one who isn't a serious expert will likely notice, although I know what you mean about the frustration of finding something you know about and can't really fix.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Cathead

[kurtvd19]

Eric's correct - hog chains were not chain but steel rods with hook ends (or hook to round end).  I have quite an extensive collection of period photographs and have never seen actual chain used though I guess it could have been used.  I suggest that solid rods should be used.

Kurt

 

[Brucealanevans]

OK

wire it is!

[leclaire]

Bruce, you are not the only one that put those supports on upside down. I did the same thing but fortunately noticed in time to pull them off, clean them off and redo. Lucky I was using wood glue and not CA.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. As Eric said, only a river boat expert would notice the issue and if they were smart they would be admiring your clever work around instead of being critical. Very nicely done indeed.

 

Bob 

[Brucealanevans]

Finished the Hog Chains today.

I found this the hardest thing I've done so far on this build. If I had 3 hands it would have been easier to make and attach everything while maintaining a taut appearance. I went with a black coated 20 gauge copper wire and home made turnbuckles. Decided to go with black rather than white (design decision). Some paint to touch up where copper bright showed at cut ends and abrasions.

Then coated the wire with matt finish to get rid of the plastic shine.

Glad to have this done.

Next the stacks, which will finish articles 1-5 of 6 in Kurt's Ships in Scale series.

[Cathead]

Nicely done.

[Brucealanevans]

Finished the stacks and put them in place and glued.

Wondered about the running lights as when placed per the plans I thought "well, how do they fill/light them?"

Apparently the brackets had a small sheave in the end so that the lamp could be lowered and raised by a halyard.

Interestingly, the picture on the cover of the box shows such a halyard although the rigging plan sheet does not.

Anyway, I did mount the lights on the stacks, and will approximate the function of the halyard when rigging. You can just make them out in these views from behind since apparently they were placed so as not to be visible from the pilot house and compromise the pilot's night vision.

So I guess I was right not to light the pilot house with an LED lamp, or so I can tell myself.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Brucealanevans

[Brucealanevans]

Finished and glued in place the pilot house staircase.

This was fiddly - getting the alignment of the staircase and the pilot house landing correct - and many of the glue spots were small so really quite fragile. Took 3 days to give the glue (used Tite-Bond carpenter's glue to allow adjustment during the setup time) time to securely set before advancing to the next step and then finally painting.

I was glad to finally get it glued securely in place.

Next will be the bits and bobs that go on the texas deck as well as placing all of the eyebolts on that deck prior to putting the rail in place.

[Brucealanevans]

My wife just pointed out that if I don’t move the pilot house door handle to the other side no one will be able to get in or out due to the narrowness of the landing ...

[Brucealanevans]

Unless we assume the door swings IN!

will leave as is. 

[kurtvd19]

I think it would hit the roof trim if swung out - inward it is....

[Brucealanevans]

Took a break and made up some cotton bales for cargo.

Painted my cuspidors to look like brass.

Touched up some of the people I've been collecting for the voyage.

 

I have a few barrels left over from previous builds, and have some white metal grain/seed sacks coming. I think that will complete the cargo loaded onto the main deck.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Brucealanevans

[Brucealanevans]

Moving along...

Finished the rigging (except for the boats). Got the railings all in place.

I had a lot of trouble with the brass roof decorations for the pilot house and Texas. Decided to try a different brand of CA (Bob Smith Industries) and it worked much better - no problem with placing and gluing the railings which I had been dreading.

Here's some pictures of current status.

Most of the people are in place. Awaiting some cast seed/grain bags to fill out the cargo areas, after which I'll place the main deck rails.

Other than that, the boats and their booms and rigging and the foredeck stuff remain.

[kurtvd19]

Great overall appearance and finishing with so many added details is a nice touch.

 

Bob Smith c/a is by far the best stuff available.  If the hobby shop or mail order place show their name on a c/a bottle it is most likely Bob Smit's stuff as they offer this branding to customers.  There is still a company id on the back side with the Bob Smith name as somebody else will probably offer the store branding some day but the BS stuff has done this since the mid 90's.

 

[Brucealanevans]

Kurt

Many thanks to you.

Without your series of articles this build would not have been anywhere near what it is.

I strongly suggest that anyone undertaking building the MS Chaperon kit have copies of those articles in hand.

The suggestion of scratch building turnbuckles rather than using the supplied flat brass pieces alone added significantly to the appearance. Gluing card to the inside of the cabin walls that are bent 90 degree curves was truly a lifesaver. To say nothing of the modifications to the pilot house and the boiler that add greatly to the realism. Thank you again.

By the way, did the end part of Part 2 get cut off in the publication?

Edited February 17, 2019 by Brucealanevans

[kurtvd19]

Bruce:

Thanks for the kind words about the articles.  They are now out of print and there are no physical back issues available from SiS or the NRG.  And yes, they did edit Part 2 and 3 to fit.  There wasn't anything left out but it they moved some shorter stuff into Part 2 to fit and put it into Part 3.  The Part 3 stuff was out of sequence.

 

I had forgotten about the edits completely until earlier this month when I was working on a PDF Book that will contain the entire series on the Chaperon with all the model building photos in color and it will have extra material that wasn't printed in the magazine series.  I intend to make it available for a very affordable amount (TBD) on a CD or flash drive hopefully sometime in March.

 

It will be some time before the series will be on a new and final disc of the Ships in Scale CD's we will sell through the NRG Store and the disc will contain only what was published, as it was published, including the goofed up editing. 

 

Take care,

Kurt

[leclaire]

Kurt - good news indeed about your Chaperon CD. I could sure use it in my build. Now I have a good excuse to set this build aside and try to finish up another that has been gathering a little dust. Please make sure to let us know when it is available.

 

Bruce - very nice work on your Chaperon. Like Kurt, I particularly like the extra details you have included.

 

Bob

[Brucealanevans]

One of the boats mounted and connected to the booms.

 

[Brucealanevans]

Getting real close now.

With the cargo and main deck people in place I could finally add the bull rails.

It really helped to paint the whole set of wood strips (24") ahead of time. Then I could measure for each interval and cut 5 pieces off with a sharp x-acto chisel and immediately place them on/in the brackets, and then glue a bunch of them in place at one time.

Put together and installed all the rigging for the stage. I used Syren Co. small hooks (the older black plastic ones I had from the Morgan build) which worked really well. I used epoxy for all of the cleats - learned my lesson from previous builds when cleats popped off using CA when tension applied. Adds a overnight wait but the security is worth it.

Now trim the stage rigging, make and place a bunch of rope coils for that rigging and for the 2 sets of boat boom rigging. And some touch-up painting here and there and a bit of pastels weathering in a few places.

Then .... finished.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Brucealanevans

[Blighty]

Well done Bruce, I will miss your updates when you finally complete his model. Quality build, quality log, quality modeler.

Thx for a gem.

 

Final display pics will be a delight.

 

Blighty.

[ouizel]

This is looking very nice.  A question, though:  What is the orange / red thing hanging off the line at the bow in the first picture of your last post?  A weight you're using to keep the lines organized?

 

Thanks.

[Brucealanevans]

Yeah, just there to keep tension on the line while I adjusted the position of the stage by fussing with the lines in turn. 

They are for holding small electrical wires in contact - pushing a button in the end extrudes a small copper hook which retracts when button released. 

I use them to hold rigging line under tension when seizing. 

[ouizel]

1 hour ago, Brucealanevans said:

They are for holding small electrical wires in contact - pushing a button in the end extrudes a small copper hook which retracts when button released. 

Interesting.  Any idea what they are called?  I'd like to try them out.

[Brucealanevans]

8Pair Round Colored Single Hook Clip Test Probe for Electronic Testing

(amazon description)

[Cathead]

I use regular clothes pins (pegs) or small metal clamps for the same purpose, works great.

[Brucealanevans]

I like these because the small ones are very light and don’t cause any sag in the rigging.  

[Osmosis]

I too have downloaded and saved it for my upcoming AL King of the Mississippi build. Thanks Kurt, Bruce and all.

 

Opps! Sorry for the misplaced response I was at the bottom of page one and did not realize it.

 

Best Regards

Edited March 2, 2019 by Osmosis

[kurtvd19]

On 2/17/2019 at 1:12 PM, kurtvd19 said:

Bruce:

Thanks for the kind words about the articles.  They are now out of print and there are no physical back issues available from SiS or the NRG.  And yes, they did edit Part 2 and 3 to fit.  There wasn't anything left out but it they moved some shorter stuff into Part 2 to fit and put it into Part 3.  The Part 3 stuff was out of sequence.

 

I had forgotten about the edits completely until earlier this month when I was working on a PDF Book that will contain the entire series on the Chaperon with all the model building photos in color and it will have extra material that wasn't printed in the magazine series.  I intend to make it available for a very affordable amount (TBD) on a CD or flash drive hopefully sometime in March.

 I have the cd or flash drive ready for sale for those wanting it.

Kurt