joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 #1 Posted July 17, 2020 I'm currently building a Revolutionary War brig and it is coming along ok but i have watched some threads on paddlewheel kit construction so i ordered some Chaparon plans to get me started. My thinking is that in the event i tire of one i would switch to the other for a while. Anyway I thought i might be able to scratch build this one. The idea is not have what is historically accurate but rather a representation of the period in general. I would really like input from other folks on what i'm doing as i have no ship building experience. I decided to try another method of hull construction as opposed to planking because the flat bottom lends itself to another. I used the full scale keel plan from the kit and made to sides with the intent of a flat plywood bottom. I rabbited the sides for the bottom and rounded over the exterior sides. GrandpaPhil and mtaylor 2 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 Author #2 Posted July 17, 2020 mtaylor, ccoyle, Wacom and 2 others 5 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 Author #3 Posted July 17, 2020 I thought the next step would be to create a fullscale plan view of the deck and use it to build a thin plywood subdeck which will be overlayed with planking. mtaylor 1 Quote
Cathead Posted July 17, 2020 #4 Posted July 17, 2020 There's a good argument for not planking the bottom, which can't really be seen. Are you going to plank the sides, which are visible, or are you figuring that paint and the low viewing angle will obscure the wood grain and joints? Certainly, it may not matter if your goal is a representation in a certain style rather than an accurate scale model. Interested to see where you take this idea. mtaylor 1 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 Author #5 Posted July 17, 2020 my intention, as of right now, is to plank the deck only for the reasons you have pointed out. mtaylor 1 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 Author #6 Posted July 17, 2020 It would help me if someone with the Chaperon would give me the dimensions of the recess for the paddlewheel. Quote
joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 Author #7 Posted July 17, 2020 I got the first layer of the deck cut out and attached. Cathead, GrandpaPhil and mtaylor 3 Quote
Cathead Posted July 17, 2020 #8 Posted July 17, 2020 4 hours ago, joep4567 said: dimensions of the recess for the paddlewheel. I thought you said you had purchased plans, wouldn't that be part of the plans? I don't have plans, but there are a lot of Chaperon builders here who will find your log soon and help you out. mtaylor 1 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
joep4567 Posted July 17, 2020 Author #9 Posted July 17, 2020 the plans are not at full scale ( for the most part ) so it requires interpolation ( i think that is the correct term) which is possible but i just thought it easier for someone who had the model in hand. mtaylor 1 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 19, 2020 Author #10 Posted July 19, 2020 I decided that maybe the correct approach was to make the paddlewheel and then design the hull opening around it. I came up with what i thought is a suitable diameter and draw up a pattern to follow. The first step was to cut out the hubs followed by milling the spoke pieces. Using the pattern and a jig i assembled the spokes for the first wheel. Three more to go. The wheels will be mounted on a 3/16 shaft. Ryland Craze, mtaylor and GrandpaPhil 3 Quote
Cathead Posted July 19, 2020 #11 Posted July 19, 2020 When building paddlewheels from scratch, I've found it surprisingly difficult to get them all perfectly the same, and even tiny variations will ripple throughout the wheel once you try to line up all the spokes with straight buckets (the horizontal planks that tie the spokes together). It can help to define your first wheel as the pattern, then build each subsequent one directly on top, using clamps or pins to guarantee that they match. It also helps to clearly mark one spoke as the starting point for when you try to line them up later. Again, even tiny variations in the pattern will cause problems later, so knowing which is spoke A on each ring is really helpful, as is which way it should be oriented (mark the starboard or port side of each ring). Otherwise you can end up rotating them around like tumblers in a lock, trying to find the right combination. joep4567, mtaylor and tarbrush 3 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
joep4567 Posted July 20, 2020 Author #12 Posted July 20, 2020 thanks a lot for the advice as i was aware of discrepancies but didn't realize the impact it would have when i got to plank assembly. Any other bits of wisdom? mtaylor 1 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 21, 2020 Author #13 Posted July 21, 2020 I got all 4 wheels of the paddlewheel built and have them mounted on the shaft with sized spacers. The spokes of the wheels appear to be in sufficiently good alignment to allow attaching the buckets without too much fitting (thankyou cathead). GrandpaPhil, mtaylor and Cathead 3 Quote
Cathead Posted July 21, 2020 #14 Posted July 21, 2020 Nice work! mtaylor 1 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
joep4567 Posted July 24, 2020 Author #16 Posted July 24, 2020 I got the individual wheels of the paddlewheel painted and the styrene rings attached. GrandpaPhil, mtaylor and Cathead 3 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 25, 2020 Author #17 Posted July 25, 2020 I got the cylinder timbers made and installed and am working on the paddlewheel buckets next. Cathead, mtaylor and GrandpaPhil 3 Quote
joep4567 Posted July 28, 2020 Author #18 Posted July 28, 2020 I got the planks for the paddlewheel done and mounted so that pretty much completes the wheel. I made the pillow blocks and mortised them into the cylinder timbers and attached them with bolts. The bolts will get washers in the final assembly reklein, mtaylor, leclaire and 4 others 7 Quote
Cathead Posted July 28, 2020 #19 Posted July 28, 2020 Cool! mtaylor 1 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
joep4567 Posted July 29, 2020 Author #20 Posted July 29, 2020 I made a pair of rudders and some brass mounting pins on which i turned shoulders some the rudders would have a positive seat. Cathead, leclaire, Ryland Craze and 2 others 5 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 1, 2020 Author #21 Posted August 1, 2020 I detailed out the rubbers to make them look a little more authentic. mtaylor, Ryland Craze, GrandpaPhil and 1 other 4 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 1, 2020 Author #22 Posted August 1, 2020 I started work on the main deck structures. mtaylor, Mike Zoll, GrandpaPhil and 2 others 5 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 1, 2020 Author #23 Posted August 1, 2020 I've been working on this Brig prior to starting the Paddlewheeler but have kind of put it on the back burner. Cathead, Ryland Craze, Mike Zoll and 2 others 5 Quote
Cathead Posted August 1, 2020 #24 Posted August 1, 2020 Everything looks real nice. mtaylor 1 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
joep4567 Posted August 1, 2020 Author #25 Posted August 1, 2020 Thanks coming from you that means a lot! mtaylor 1 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 4, 2020 Author #26 Posted August 4, 2020 I've been working on both the staircase and the boiler GrandpaPhil, mtaylor and Cathead 3 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 11, 2020 Author #27 Posted August 11, 2020 I got the boiler painted. GrandpaPhil, mtaylor, Mike Zoll and 1 other 4 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 11, 2020 Author #28 Posted August 11, 2020 I decided that I needed to plank the sides of the hull for authenticity. Cathead, GrandpaPhil, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote
joep4567 Posted August 11, 2020 Author #29 Posted August 11, 2020 I gave the hull some paint so I will be ready to start planking the deck so soon as the paint dries thoroughly . GrandpaPhil, mtaylor, Cathead and 3 others 6 Quote
Cathead Posted August 11, 2020 #30 Posted August 11, 2020 You're well into what should be a nice model with a distinct style! mtaylor 1 Quote Eric Missouri River craft (scratchbuilt): 1893 steamboat Peerless; 1853 steamboat Arabia; 1865 steamboat Bertrand; Lewis & Clark barge; keelboat; 1876 steamboat Far West; Nautical builds (kits): USS Cairo; NRG capstan project; NRG half-hull; Viking longship; US revenue cutter; 18th century longboat; Bounty launch
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