Isis by mcb - FINISHED - 1:160 - PLASTIC - Floating Grain Elevator NY harbor

[Canute]

Sitting up on Castle Point bluff in Hoboken, in the 60s was interesting to see all the harbor traffic. The last passenger ferry shut down towards the end of my freshman year at Stevens Tech. The car floats and other traffic were busy, but film I've seen from the 20s thru 40s made the 60s look slow motion. Still had the big ocean liners coming into the North River (aka Hudson) every so often.

[mcb]

Hello again all. Thanks Roger and Canute for the comments and everyone for the likes.

Three weeks and more seem to have gone by since my last update.  I must post some progress.

A lot of the small detail parts have been added and of course some things that were good when dry fitted have had to be re-made.

I have added ventilators, skylight, boat and whistle to the 'boat deck',  whistle, bell, awning and blocks for the ladders forward.

One thing that I cannot see on these photos is a smoke jack for the galley stove which I assume to be in the rear of the engine house.  I will omit it for now.

Remaining to do: Rigging the ladders, rigging the discharge chutes, aft bitt and flagpole, various deck litter (ropes , barrels, boat hook etc.), fabricate rooftop ventilator, (dreading this) rig the marine legs and lots of touch-up and adjustment.

When I am finished with this project I will list the materials and commercial parts I used and perhaps some thoughts on my reasoning involved. 

I think it might be necessary to get a new camera so that I can get good images when this grain elevator is done. The pics I have been posting look the thing just rolled of the show room floor.

Thanks,

MCB

[Keith Black]

MCB, you've turned a nondescript vessel into a jewel. I applaud your efforts, especially considering you're working at 1:160

[Canute]

Looking good. Quite the barge.

[mcb]

Hello again everyone,

Thanks Keith and Canute for the comments and everyone for the likes.

There is a little bit of progress to report on the grain elevator.  I have added and rigged the ladders to the sides of the elevator.  I couldn't think of their purpose until I saw a picture of one leaning against a freighter that was being loaded, it should have been obvious to me.  I have also made up the flag pole (never saw a flag or lantern in any of my pics) but did not yet glue it in, as well as some other miscellaneous details.  

The last week I have been building the stack and vent for the relief valve in brass which in the pic are placed in position not glued. 

Remaining to do on the stack are turnbuckles and guy wires for the stack and the support bracket for the top of the stack.

After the stack will be rigging the discharge tubes and the marine leg. Clean-up and then finished?

The last pic included here should be a detail shot of the stack cropped from another William W. Barry jr. photo in the series as noted in the first post.

It shows an odd lenticular sort of arrangement of structural steel joined at the ends with 2 hoops for spreaders.  Most or all of the other (few) pictures of 'Isis' and the other grain elevators I have show a simple set of 3 pipes or rods (p&s) which would have been easy.  But I said to myself when I started this that I would stick to these photos and a deal is a deal.

Thanks for looking,

MCB

 

 

[mbp521]

MCB,

 

Just stumbled across your build and I cannot get over the uniqueness of this boat. What a fascinating subject and excellent detail you have put into this. Looking forward to following along.

 

-Brian

[mcb]

Hello Everyone,

 

Thanks for the comment Brian and thanks everyone for the likes.

I have been working on the stack for 'Isis'. 

On the first version of the stays for the stack I made some turnbuckles but they were grossly oversized (probably ~42") so I removed them and tried to represent them with blobs of paint.  I used fine Easy Line for the stay wires.

I also hung the boat hook over the door.

I will make another post to show how the top bracket support is working out.

 

Thanks for looking, 

MCB

[wefalck]

Yep, turnbuckles at that scale are a challenge ... just wondering, whether shoulnd't be any stays forward too ?

[mcb]

Hello again,

 

The upper support bracket for the stack is unusual (see pic above) at least to me.  I was unable to find suitable brass stock at a few local hobby shops so I am trying to make do with 3/64th styrene tee (Plastruct).  I built a fixture to taper the ends and I thinned it down somewhat as well.

The hoops were made with some flat brass wire.

These will be mounted with brass wire pins and not permanently attached in case I can come up with something better.

If these look to bad on the model I may simply use smaller flat styrene or brass and give up some of the 3 dimensional 'texture'.

 

Thanks Again,

MCB

[mcb]

Yes Wefalck,

I could not see any stays forward, only the bracket at the top.  There are other lines faintly visible in the photo above but I am reluctant to add them when I am not sure. 

For instance there appears to be a block at the top of the stack.  What could its purpose be?  Flag or anchor light?  We already have a mast for that I think. 

 

I may need to fatten those turnbuckles more.

Thanks,

MCB

[wefalck]

Somehow I missed the brackets. Of course, no stays needed with these.

[mcb]

Hello Again,

 

Thanks for the likes.  I put on the support brackets for the top of the stack, they don't look as bad as I thought they might.  I will probably keep them. 

There is not a lot left to do on this I think. 

Only the discharge tubes, door handles, marine legs and then a lot of touch-up/ clean-up. 

This thing is starting to get fragile.  Not everything is glued.

Four posts in 2 days, I am not usually this talkative.

Thanks Again

MCB

[mtaylor]

Fascinating.   Don't worry about talking too much, it's giving us an education.   I am curious about something and maybe I missed the explanation... to the side of the structure at about the same area as the stack is open compartment.  Looks like logs or something in there.   Can you tell me what is in there? Same for the opening aft.

[wefalck]

I noticed this as well, but thought that it was boiler.

[Kevin]

sorry i am one of those very late to the party, what a lovely and unusual project

[Keith Black]

 MCB, I think the stern stack supports look great. Your Isis model gets better looking with each new post.  

[mcb]

Hello Again,

Thanks Mark, Wefalck, Kevin and Keith.  Thanks everyone for the likes.

The aft compartment  that must be shallow to allow for the top of the boiler appears to contain extensions for the discharge tubes. 

Some of these tubes must be rubber or similar since they are flexible. 

Here attached is a crop from the same photo shown above.

 

The opening in the forward part of the elevator is a mystery since it is blocked by grain barges in all of this series of (5) photos. Perhaps gear is stored in there?  You can see that most of the windows and doors are open for ventilation though it does not appear to be summer.

 

Next up should be the discharge tubes.

Have to go to work now.

Thanks Again,

MCB

[mtaylor]

Thanks MCB for the explanation.   

[mcb]

Hello everyone,

I thought I should report in as it has been a while since my last post.

I have installed three of the discharge tubes with somewhat simplified rigging.  They were not as difficult as I was expecting.  I will leave the last one until after the marine legs are in place to avoid interference.

After the marine legs: clean up/ touch up and perhaps add some details, then finished, I hope.

Thanks for looking,

MCB

[Keith Black]

That is such a neat model, MCB

 

 

 

 

[G.L.]

MCB, I just discovered your log and read it diagonally. What an interesting project! Tonight I will read your full story again, but this time carefully. I should have discovered this earlier. Congratulations on this beautiful work.

[Kevin]

lovely work, 

[Canute]

You've done an outstanding job building that grain elevator. She's a beauty.

[mcb]

Hello Again,

Thanks Keith, G. L., Kevin and Canute and thanks everyone for the likes.

 

Well I thought that this project would be finished by now but I found a couple of things to correct.  

I discovered that the bottom of the hull had developed a significant bow a while ago and put it out of my mind, to be remedied later (mistake).

I should have taken care of this before I put a lot of details on, especially the discharge tubes.

So now the bottom of the hull has been sanded, I only have to clean up some clinging styrene dust and re-rig the extended discharge tube.

I think that the styrene bowed  when I glued on the superstructure. 

The other problem was I was never happy with the previously assembled marine legs.  They did not hang right from their support arms and since they were built I have seen some photos suggesting how the bottom of a marine leg really appeared. Some slight adjustment of the proportions seemed necessary as well.  The pic below shows the old version and new under construction.

Anyway I had hoped to show the completed model by now but I suppose now  it  might be a few more weeks.

Thanks,

MCB

[Keith Black]

MCB, you could have cupped the mounting board.

It's a shame you can't give a thumbs up and a sad face. Tough luck about the bow, beautiful redos.

[mtaylor]

Like Keith, not sure on thumbs up for fixing the issue or a sad face because of the problem that happened.   I do think you'll be happier with the improved legs.  

[Canute]

Nice job with the grain legs. Those things must have been a sight getting moved around the harbor. Well done.

[mcb]

Hello Again everyone,

Thanks Keith Black, mtaylor and Canute.  Thanks everyone for the likes.

Work on 'Isis' slowed down recently due to a busy August.   

After a little clean-up the marine legs will be ready to paint.

Then perhaps final clean-up and assembly at last.  I thought that this would have been finished a long time ago, but I seem to always underestimate the time required.

 

Thanks Again,

MCB

 

[mtaylor]

Looking good and no worries on the time frame.  With this hobby, builds always go over estimates because life has a way of tossing our schedules into the dumpster.

[Canute]

This is an Extra, not a scheduled job with a timetable to hold to. That marine leg looks very good. Well done.