Germania Nova 1911 by KeithAug - FINISHED - Scale 1:36 - replica of schooner Germania 1908

[BANYAN]

Those companionways are looking superb Keith; very impressive work.

 

A suggestion to consider for the flags.  Building on John's idea, when I had to do my hammocks at 1:72, I rolled them on a longer length of polystyrene rod (thinnest I could find ofjust under 1mm)  this gave them the rigidity I needed but remove the rod before the glue sets up.  You could use thin brass rod (0.5mm) also - a very diluted PVA mixture would be less inclined to stick?  When dry, I reinserted the rod to give support while I cut to length.  Knowing your ingenuity though, you have probably already tried this

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Bedford]

Another master class.

 

I was gong to suggest rolling up a sheet of variously coloured paper then cutting it

[druxey]

Just paint small diameter wood dowel that you've put through a treenail plate.

[Jim Lad]

A cunning plan, Druxey!

 

John

[KeithAug]

16 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Knowing your ingenuity though, you have probably already tried this

Pat / Steve - I hadn't tried it. I had rolled paper around a wire but only at the required length of .15" - which was messy - but I agree a longer length cut up is a better idea.

16 hours ago, druxey said:

Just paint small diameter wood dowel that you've put through a treenail plate.

Druxey - yes good pan. I will try that first.

[wefalck]

Or sculpt them from suitable modelling clay ...

[KeithAug]

On 5/7/2020 at 2:41 AM, druxey said:

Just paint small diameter wood dowel

Druxey, I tried it and this is my preferred method - thank you. I used cocktail sticks reduced from .080" diameter to .070" and coloured them with felt tip pens. 

 

I completed the deckhouse (except the flags). This started with finishing the tops of the two wing structures.

More skylights were required on the starboard wing but these were under half the size of those previously done. They were made in the same way as the ones previously completed.

 

I now share the sad news of the demise of my magic 0.6mm  drill bit. After it had manfully completing 224 holes I took its photograph.

Two minutes later I was using it freehand to clean up another hole and the slight amount of side pressure snapped it ------- RIP.

The final segment to the right of the two skylights was covered in decking planks.

The bi-folding doors were then made from mahogany.

They were glued in place and wire was used to simulate hinges.

I feel that I need a diversion from the deckhouses and so will have a go at the main boom crutch next. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by KeithAug

[Bedford]

Keith, the drill bit had a good run, a long and useful life. Remember it well

[druxey]

My condolences on the loss of your favorite drill bit. Certainly outlived its expected life span, though. Glad the flag locker will now work out for you.

[mtaylor]

Alas and alack.  The bit will be missed.   Lovely work still going on.  Looking forward to seeing the flag locker.

[KeithAug]

Thank you to all who have morned the passing of my drill.

 

And so on to the main boom crutch.

 

It is painted white but I may leave it as brass.

I started with a sketch. The height and width were taken from the plans and the other dimensions were scaled from photographs. The height to the underside of the cross beam is 2.2" and centre distance between up-stands is 1.3". The life rings are of the smaller standard 24" (600mm) outside diameter.

Towards the upper end of the columns are 6 slots - I am unsure as to the purpose but decided to reproduce them. The column were turned to diameter and then polished before the slots were cut with a slitting saw. I had to introduce a joint above the slots to make the slitting operation possible.

In the separated top piece (above) you can see the hole (bottom edge) drilled to take the bracket for the cross bracing. The 4 bracing brackets started life as round rod. A flat end was milled on the end and then this was shaped with a file and drilled. With the shape formed the rod was taken to the lathe and the spigot was turned before the bracket was parted off. The brackets were small enough to loose - so I lost one!!!!!!!!

the 4 brackets were soldered into the columns.

The square flanges at the base were cut from 5/16 square bar, first drilled and then slit off.

The observant among you will see 4 flanges. I though I needed 2 at the top of the columns but I didn't - the top ones turned out to be round. On the wire I have threaded 4 bosses which attach to the end of the bracing struts. These were turned from .080" rod.

The cross beam was cut from mahogany and drilled to take the columns. The circular top flanges were turned from bar and parted off.

The final job today was to sort out the .020" diameter wire for the cross struts. I only had soft bent brass wire but needed hard straight wire.

So I used my standard straightening / work hardening method as follows:-

First the wire was put in the lathe. Each end held in a Jacobs chuck - one in the tailstock and the other clamped in the lathe chuck (the lathe chuck is too large to clamp such small diameter wire).

Then with the lathe to low speed I turn it on while winding out on the tailstock handle. Thus stretching and twisting the wire simultaneously. 

The resultant wire is both hard and straight.

Goodnight and good health to you all.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by KeithAug

[druxey]

I like that work hardening technique!

[BANYAN]

Ditto, great tip Keith.  The crutch assembly is looking great.

 

You may have covered this, and I am being lazy not checking back through the log, but is your saw mounted in a mill with a chuck on the x table, or is it in a lathe with overhead milling attachment?  I like the process of cross cutting to hold smaller parts.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[KeithAug]

3 hours ago, BANYAN said:

You may have covered this, and I am being lazy not checking back through the log, but is your saw mounted in a mill with a chuck on the x table,

Pat, you are correct. The saw is in the mill spindle. The workpiece is in a chuck that is mounted on a rotary table, with the rotary table mounted vertically on the milling table. I should have explained better. Thank you for the feedback.

 

druxey, thank you.

 

 

[Mark Pearse]

Hi Keith

 

Very interesting on the wire hardening.

 

I wonder if the slots are because they use the tubes to double as vents for the black & grey water holding tanks.

[KeithAug]

7 hours ago, Mark Pearse said:

I wonder if the slots are because they use the tubes to double as vents for the black & grey water holding tanks.

Mark - I had also wondered whether they were used as vents - but had no idea what for. You may be correct in your suggestion of use.

[KeithAug]

I spent some time completing the crutch.

 

The diagonals were fitted to the pre-assembled crutch. Initially pinned in place with sewing pins while the end fittings were glued in place.

Once the length was set the braces were removed and the wires were filed half through at the intersection position.

The diagonals were then permanently installed with a dab of CA fixing the intersection.

I then needed to make the circular plates that hold the life rings. They are 0.66" diameter and I started by making these form 1/32" ply.

I turned them pressure clamped between the tailstock and lathe chuck. I started by putting a 1" dowel in the chuck and turning it down to 0.7". A section was then parted off and sandpaper was glued to the 2 flat surfaces, thus creating 2 pressure pads.

Two 1" square 1/32" ply sheets were then clamped between the pressure pads using the tailstock to apply the clamping pressure.

The pressure pads and the ply sheets were then turned down to the required 0.66" diameter.

Having got to this stage i then changed tack and decided to make the discs out of plasticard (basically to avoid painting)

The discs were turned by a similar process to that described with the exception that I used a piece of aluminium in the chuck.

I also glued on and turned a central boss to form a spacer.

The "v" block provided the alignment while the 2 discs were glued together.

At his stage I also drilled .025" holes in the starboard column of the crutch to take the life buoy lights.

Finally I glued in place the lifebuoy mounting plates.

 

 

 

[KeithAug]

So on to the life rings - the real ones come in two standard sizes 30" and 24" outside diameter. Scaling the photographs confirmed that the ones I needed were of the 24" type or 0.66" diameter at model scale. I picked one that looked about right from the web.

I made the ring from .040" thick plasticard. I cut 6 pieces but in the end only needed 4.

The rings were cut to shape and profiled while attached to the end of a piece of aluminium bar. The shaping was done with a needle file while the rings were on the lathe. Four rings were made and then joined.

A piece of dowel was then turned to be a push fit in the bore and this was mounted in a square collet block to allow the 4 scallops to be cut out with a .080" diameter end mill before being drilled with a .024" hole.

The rings were painted and thin plastic strips were glued to form the 4 reflective strips. Finally nylon string was attached to the 4 holes.

A wooden template was then used to drill the deck to take the crutch.

Wooden plinths were attached above the holes.

And then the two life rings were glued in place. The masking is to protect the deck from the poly applied to the plinths.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by KeithAug

[Jim Lad]

Great work (as usual), Keith.  Is there any way you can encourage the grab lines on the lifebuoys to 'flop' a bit?  they look a little unnatural sticking out like ears.

 

John

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, Jim Lad said:

Is there any way you can encourage the grab lines on the lifebuoys to 'flop' a bit?  they look a little unnatural sticking out like ears.

Yes John I need to dope them with dilute PVA.

[BANYAN]

Keith, great process and another excellent outcome!  That whole assembly looks great, and with the 'rope softening' will look very realistic; another idea to store away. 

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Roger Pellett]

The boom crutch- A massive structure to support the massive main boom.  I went back and looked at pictures of the boat Under Sail and this is a permant structure.  Care needs to be taken not to snag it when the boom swings!  I guess that’s why they sail with a professional crew.

 

Anyhow, more wonderful work!

 

Roger

Edited May 17, 2020 by Roger Pellett

[Retired guy]

Another brilliant piece of micro fabrication Keith, absolute joy to watch your progress 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[KeithAug]

Pat, Roger, Richard - thank you for the comments. Also thanks to everyone the likes and visits.

 

I gave the various deck houses a coat of Poly (the first of a number of coats).

Then proceeded to the deck benches and table.

The deck benches have hinged backs (trolley bus style) so they can face either out or in. Mine wont be operable and will face inwards. The most distinctive feature is the pivot bars and I will try to do a reasonable reproduction of these.

 

The sketch was pretty basic - predominantly focusing on the major dimensions.

The bench seats are 2.1" long x .650" wide x .430" high to the seat and .860" hight to the top of the back. The hinge bars will be .055" wide x .03" thick.

 

The bench seats were built on oak cores.

All the cladding mahogany panel pieces were cut and the oak cores were drilled to take 1/8" location pegs

The bench sides were clad.

I used a card template to locate the benches in their correct position and then drilled through the location holes.

The bench tops and backs were then made out of .060" thick planks.

I now need to get on with the hinge bars which will be a bit more of a fiddle.

 

[Guest]

I go tired of all the time saying beautiful, fantastic, awesome, incredible and stunning work 

 

but that are the only words that come up when I look at your amazing work, 

 

Oh yes and amazing too !!

 

keep up the ........ work 

 

all the best 

Boris 
 

 

[Keith Black]

12 minutes ago, boris279 said:

I go tired of all the time saying beautiful, fantastic, awesome, incredible and stunning work

A picture is worth a thousand words. 

[wefalck]

Something to look forward to every second evening or so

👍

 

[shipman]

Keith, the applied reflective material on your life rings stand proud. On the real ones they are inset.

[Kevin]

just wonderful

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, shipman said:

Keith, the applied reflective material on your life rings stand proud. On the real ones they are inset.

Hello Shipman - sometimes I take the easy way out. In this instance trying to inset them seemed a step too far. I console myself that different designs exist and in some instances the band is on the surface:-

Thank you Keith, Kevin, Boris, Eberhard - but as Shipman righty points out - plenty of room for improvement.