Harriet Lane by Organ tech - Model Shipways

[Organ tech]

Let me know if I am blogging in the correct place, after which, I will continue here or move to the correct place. Working so small, 1:144, is newly challenging to me. I am putting my 1^st clumsy attempts in this log as doing this task in public will keep me on the straight and narrow certain trying doing my best work (inaccuracy will make an “attractive model” but will be just that). I welcome all comments and advice even though I can see the shortcomings in my work. I am making all the sub-assemblies (deck structure, masts, etc, first, as this is the new part to me. Carving the hull draws on my transferable skills, so I am doing it last, since I have made many orchestral violins (not fiddles) which requires carving, from a slab, the outside and inside of the top and back with precision. My college degrees are BS and MS in mechanical engineering. I currently build and service pipe organs and am a portrait artist. My very first task was stropping sesame sized rigging blocks (fail here, and I might as well quit). Nearly impossible for me with wire, but easy with thread. I work a few minutes per day on this model and stared a month or so ago. Some of my completed sub-assemblies will be pictured soon.  

 

I chose this model because I was initially looking for a Revel or Limburg model of a mid 19th century sidewheel mail packet, ships like the Cunard Persia, though none were available. While never a mail packet, the HL is very much like one, and is "good enough". I will add all of its warship elements to the model. 

[Organ tech]

Posted by others, but here is the model, small fittings, and some of my tools. I made small drills out of pins. My pipe organ building shop is my workspace. I use much basswood there, probably enough scrap is there to build dozens of Harriet Lanes. 

[Organ tech]

Here are my two masts, built and assembled. I can add the top shrouds and some running rigging, before adding the masts to the hull. Closeup shows my mainmast crosstree(attempt) and some blocks added for the jib sheet. as well  as some lift blocks. I have also assembled my yards with footropes. I am "cheating" on the jackstays and using a black thread with dabs of brass paint which I decided, at this scale will look better than the eyes and wires.  

[Organ tech]

my main deck structure and wheel assemblies. Wheel assembles have dimensional error and need to be redone.

  need to be redone, dimensional error. 

[Organ tech]

Stropping a block. I ordered more blocks and running rigging from an Australian firm, as I am going to add more rigging than the plan shows as well as a sail or two. 

[ccoyle]

Lookin' good so far.

[Organ tech]

Some components from my kit are missing. One being the hull carving templates. However, the top view plan sheet provides the info needed to make these templates. See picture.

[Organ tech]

Made more deck structures, these being the forward companionway, one of the rear companionways, and the rudder wheel enclosure. These are made from basswood floor sweepings from my organ shop, for which I buy basswood by the 6" by 12" by 8 foot plank. Painting and decorating will follow. I also made the bowsprit. Error here in the jib boom cap, but will live with it and press on 😞 This model is so small that it approaches "bottle ship" making in that illusion of detail is in store. The included plans, and the photo of an assembled model on the box top, differ in many features and details.😂 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Organ tech
spelling and diction corrections, added photo

[Organ tech]

Now I have begun, probably, the trickiest task of the project. Photos show two deadeyes, one with its chainplate, the other with its shroud, along with the deadeye vice, made following the included instructions. The vice holds the deadeyes while adding the lanyards. Many model builders seem to use black thread here. I will use light, since they are running rigging. I will add the upper shrouds to the two masts along with as much other rigging as possible, before adding the masts to the hull.

[Organ tech]

My first attempt at lanyard threading worked OK. The lanyards stand wide of the deadeyes a little. Thinner thread would be better (if it exists).

[Cathead]

Looking good so far. One question, are you ensuring that the deadeyes are oriented correctly? In a given pair of deadeyes, the "top" of the triangular set of holes should always point toward the permanent part of the rigging with the two at the "base" toward lanyards connecting the pair. In the first photo (in the jig) these look backward, while the next two photos look closer to correct. For example:

 

 

Forgive me if you knew this and I was just misled by a photo. It's a little thing that's easy to miss but makes a difference in the accurate appearance of the model.

[Organ tech]

Thanks for the correction Eric--I thought they could be either way, just consistent. I will correct them, or just sneak by with these and make the rest correct. My 1st model will probably have worse mistakes before it is over. This isn't even my 1st. 🙂

Edited June 1, 2021 by Organ tech

[druxey]

The way to remember it is that the lower deadye looks like a skull and the upper one is the mirror of it.

[Organ tech]

Will do Druxey 🙂

[Organ tech]

I won't bore you with every little step in this model, but I did get my 1st shroud on the mast, though imperfectly. I was not sure I would be able to do this. My only other sailing ship model experience was when I was 12 and assembled a Revel Constitution model, same scale (I think) as this model. There, shrouds and deadeye, lanyard assemblies were pre-molded plastic. Now for the other 50+ shrouds 🙂 

[druxey]

Each step is a micro-model of its own. Nicely and neatly done.

[Organ tech]

Thanks so much druxey!

[Organ tech]

Second upper shroud installed on my mainmast. I averted a near disaster getting this one on, but all is well that ends well. I will soon live down my excitement and wait for significant progress between posts. 🙂 I will add ratlines to these two.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Organ tech
added photo

[Organ tech]

Checking in, progress slow as I am simultaneously building a small pipe organ. I have made progress on the skylights, have all top shrouds on both masts, and ratlines on the main mast top shrouds. On eBay, I bought a March, 1858 page, from Harper's Weekly, that discusses my ship, after its recent launch. It features a full page engraving, showing details, present or missing in the plans, as well as a few hundred-1000 words on the ship, not mentioned in modern articles. I can post that text here, or if inapropriate, in a different forum on this site.

[druxey]

Doing the gratings over the skylights at that scale is a real challenge!

[Organ tech]

Soon I will begin shaping the hull, though it looks very close already. Three stages here--bring the deck to its correct level, cutting the bulwarks to their correct thickness, and shaping the hull contours. Here, I am tracing the contours from the plan to make the outside hull templates, to glue to cardstock. This kit normally includes them (as seen in other builders' logs) but they are missing from mine. 

[Organ tech]

My traced templates are glued to card stock and cut, ready for use. My hull is marked for the templates a per the plans. I bought this kit on eBay, for what I now know is half what it sells for new. I was looking for a model of a mid century mail steamer by Revel or similar. None was available but this kit is close enough. I will finish it with all of its warship fittings.

 

 I know now why the templates were missing. They fit this hull exactly as is. The hull has been carved! I assume the last owner got this far, then lost interest, leaving it for me to finish. Onward with marking the waterline and the deck and bulwarks. 

 

Work continues with deck structures and masts. The metal ruler was given to my by an organ builder associate. The scale closest to the penny is divided in 100ths of inches!

[druxey]

Well, that saved you quite a bit of work!

 

 

[Organ tech]

After measuring, I see that the hull deck level is also already correct in this odd (used?) kit. So onward with bringing the bulwarks to their required 3/32 inch thickness. I used the method I once used in my violin making, perfling line location, to mark the inner boundary. !st carving with gouge, and following with a chisel, as the instructions suggest works great. 

Edited June 19, 2021 by Organ tech
spelling error

[Organ tech]

I added the yards to the foremast with clove hitches and am adding the halyards or lifts. Here I have the lower yard starboard side lift threaded in.

[ERS Rich]

Have this one in the “pile”, so decided to follow along…..thanks for posting…

Edited June 19, 2021 by ERS Rich

[Organ tech]

Thanks for checking in ERS Rich. I look forward to following your build. 🙂

[druxey]

Interesting how techniques from one craft translate to another! Looking good.

[Organ tech]

Skylight about as good as I can get it. If I do this again, I will use bone, rather than basswood, for the tiniest pieces. I am about ready to move on with the hull, after bringing the bulwarks to their final thickness. I took a Dremel tool to smooth the area at the stern.  

[druxey]

Bulwarks look great.