AMAPÁ 1907 by Ras Ambrioso - FINISHED - scale 1:64 - Brazilian Customs Cruiser

[Ras Ambrioso]

One of my favorite eras of the ship building industry was the period at the end of 19^th century and beginning of the 21^st. During that period the navies of the world transitioned from sail to steam power and from wood to metal construction. The ironclads were born.

In my modeling career I always wanted to build a Dreadnaught but found that in order to build a reasonable size “house” model it will have to be a small scale. The plastic industry produced a lot of kits with extraordinary detail but I wanted to scratch built one and my abilities were way under those of some of our modelers like Valeriy V and Wefalk.

 

I lived in the Hague for a while and, while there, I subscribed to the Model Shipwright Magazine. They provided a plan and a brief description of a selected ship in every issue. I saved these plans for the day when I had enough time to devote to my hobby. The plans for this build show what I may call a miniature dreadnaught. Steam and sail powered, 130 ft length and at a scale 1/64 which will allow plenty details including a single, deck mounted, QF gun.

 

The ship is the Brazilian Custom Cruiser Amapá that was laid down in 1906 as Yard No. 459 at Thornycroft’s Woolston (Southampton) yard. She was launched on 30 April 1907and issued to the Brazilian customs authorities on June 4, 1907. No further information is known about this vessel except that at some stage she was renamed Oyapock and she remained in service until 1918. This information is from the Model Shipwright magazine issue No, 88

 

 

The photo shows Amapá during her service with the Brazilian navy.

 

Amapá was named after the region in the north of Brazil next to the Amazon. The ships dimensions are as follows:

 

Length between perpendiculars: 130’0”

Length overall: 137’0”

Beam: 17’0”

Draft: 6’0”

Tons, gross: 177.5

Power: twin triple expansion steam engines 

Sails: Two masts with a stay sail and try sail

Armament: One 3 pounder QF gun

 

This will be a simple ship model in 1/64 scale with plenty of detail. My plan is to build the hull in two halves and use a plank on bulkhead method. I will scratch build most of the model but will still use available manufactured fittings. 

 

I have been studying these plans for quite some time and will be ready to start cutting wood shortly after I finished my current build: Amati’s Fifie

 

I want to thank the members of this forum which have provided me with valuable information. They always said that is never to late for an horse to learn new tricks. Your comments have improve my craftsmanship as a modeler. Thanks.

 

Ras

Current build: Scottish Motor Fifie. 1/32 scale. Amati kit

 

Previous builds:  Patricia. Steam powered R/C launch. 1/12 scale. Krick Kit.

                              African Queen. Steam powered  R/C launch. 1/24 scale. Billings kit.

                              Emma C. Berry. Sailing fishing smack. 1/32 scale. Model Shipways kit.

[Tony Hunt]

Nice choice of subject, it will make a fine model. I loved Model Shipwright magazine, sadly missed.

[yvesvidal]

Ras,

 

this is an excellent choice. However, you should move your Log to the Scratch Built section.

 

Yves

[ccoyle]

1 hour ago, yvesvidal said:

you should move your Log to the Scratch Built section

 

Good catch! I took care of it.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Thanks to all of you calling my attention to the forum section for this build. My bad. I really intended to do that but slipped. Much thanks to Chris for correcting it.

 

Today I purchased the material to start making the frames and did research on the bilge pump. Google actually directed me to MSW to a build from GAW on July 27, 2015 and from Mantua models.

 

This is how a downton bilge pump looks like:

 

The model is of a three spout bilge pump which was a standard part of the fast clippers of the English Merchant Navy and thus probably used by Thornycroft on this ship.

 

The model is of a three spout bilge pump which was a standard part of equipment on the fast clippers of the English Merchant Navy.

 

 

[Valeriy V]

Ras, I'm glad to see your interesting topic!
Your plan most likely shows Ston's pump.

[Valeriy V]

This is a drawing of Ston's pump.

[Valeriy V]

The Downton pump looks like a Ston pump.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Valeriy V

[Ras Ambrioso]

Valerly, thanks for the drawings. You are right. I used the information I found with Google but looking at Amapá's plans they show exactly a pump like your last two drawings of a downton pump. So I stand corrected and my model will use your plans. Thanks lot.

This another reason to be part of this group.

 

Here is a section of my plans and you see that it looks exactly like Varerly

 

Thanks again to all of you or your comments and suggestions. Today I was working on the plans to start the frame fabrication.

[Ras Ambrioso]

With my wife out of the country I have been using our dining table as a drafting board. She is coming home tonight and I must clear this mess before she comes. I have been busy working on both of my builds. Doing a little bit of detailing and touch up on the Fifie and starting the work on Amapá.

 

Today I started the to fabricate the ship's frame. As I stated before, I intend to build the hull in two halves. I tried several glues to attach the drawing templates to the wood. After using the Elmers spray adhesive I had a disaster as the glue came on too thick. I finally decided to use regular Elmer's school glue that is a paste and will be removable from the wood after cutting.

The keel section is 26" inches long and the available wood was only 24". I split the keel section by splitting the nose at station 9. I intend to use balsa fillers in the bow and in  stern sections so this split may not be a problem. 

This is the finished board ready for the saw.

 

This was done in our kitchen counter. Notice the oil tablecloth I use to keep anything messing up our counter. The Admiral will be happy ,LOL.

 

Thanks for the support

[Ras Ambrioso]

I have a question for the forum. This model is going to be wood planked over bulkheads. But the ship was iron and I would like to hear from you regarding how to make planked wood look like metal. I have seen a few ideas such as copper or aluminum foil and cannot visualize a smooth finish. My thinking was something in the line of papier-maché ; using tissue paper and airplane model dope. Other modelers I have seen covered the model with a ladies hose fabric , epoxied it over and sanded. 

Your comments and/or ideas will be most appreciated.

 

Construction continues on Amapá. I am currently cutting the frames. I will post pictures shortly.

 

Thanks for looking.

[yvesvidal]

Ras,

 

I would use thick aluminum foil. Try to buy the heavy duty kind and do some trials on a piece of wood.

The junction will have to be done very carefully, like welding seams.

It is pretty much the same concept when they use copper plates on period ships.....just larger plates.

 

Yves

Edited September 2, 2021 by yvesvidal

[Roger Pellett]

Ras,

 

See my Benjamin Noble Lake Freighter build: Scratch Builds 1901- Present

 

I just plated the hull with shellacked paper.

 

Roger

Edited September 2, 2021 by Roger Pellett

[Valeriy V]

Ras,

 

The most reliable and time-tested way to protect a wooden surface is to cover it with fiberglass and epoxy resin.

 

In this case, you need to put at least two layers. When applying epoxy resin, you need to warm it up a little with an electric hairdryer, the resin will easily spread and soak the fiberglass well.

 

All other methods do not guarantee moisture protection of the tree. Cracks in the paint and other troubles may appear.

[Valeriy V]

The thickness of the fiberglass is within 0.1-0.12 mm, the cell is approximately 0.6-0.8 mm.

[Veszett Roka]

16 hours ago, Ras Ambrioso said:

I have a question for the forum. This model is going to be wood planked over bulkheads. But the ship was iron and I would like to hear from you regarding how to make planked wood look like metal. I have seen a few ideas such as copper or aluminum foil and cannot visualize a smooth finish. My thinking was something in the line of papier-maché ; using tissue paper and airplane model dope. Other modelers I have seen covered the model with a ladies hose fabric , epoxied it over and sanded. 

Your comments and/or ideas will be most appreciated.

 

Construction continues on Amapá. I am currently cutting the frames. I will post pictures shortly.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

A good friend of mine collected dozens of plastic (styrene) boxes of margarine. He cut them into plank-like pieces and glued to the wooden hull with PVA, pinched the plastic where the rivets should have been. The plastic had 'matte' finish and it was thin enough to bend easily. I don't know how the curves of Amapá can cover with this method.

[Roger Pellett]

Ras,

 

Since you are building a steel hulled ship, when planking the hull, there is no need for you to follow otherwise conventional methods.  The time tested method for planking full sized boats subject to wet-dry cycles is a double layer of diagonal planking.  On this forum, there are at least two examples of this planking technique, one using a stapler to temporarily affix the strakes! The second diagonal planking layer is laid 90 degrees to the first and is glued to it.  This will give you a solid substrate on which you can add whatever plating system you choose.  

 

Any metal plating system like Aluminum or Copper foil requires CA, Epoxy, or Pressure Sensitive adhesives.  In my case, I was concerned with the longevity of any pressure sensitive adhesive, am allergic to CA fumes and Epoxy is messy.  Shellac stiffened archival quality paper was easily applied with regular wood glue, and hopefully will respond to humidity changes relative to the wood core better than metal.  

 

You will also to research the plating system used for the real ship as there were several.

 

Roger

 

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Roger Pellett

[Ras Ambrioso]

Roger, Veszett and Valerliy, I really appreciate of your suggestions. As soon as I read your replies I opened into a second window to look at Roger's work on the Benjamin Noble. I will probably do the wood planking of my the model in the classic way since I feel that double planking will increase the girth of the ship out of scale. Then I will develop the plating as describes by Roger since Amapá is already started as a half hull. For the actual plates I tend to like Valerliy's idea of the shellacked paper. I will have to do a a little sampling before proceeding as I have never shellacked paper.

Thanks a lot again guys, you got my head whirling right now.    

[Ras Ambrioso]

Ives, I am sorry I missed you name in my previous reply. Another senior moment. My comments above also include you. Thanks

[Roger Pellett]

Ras,

 

Preparing the shellacked paper is easy.  Shellac is available in spray cans.  The brand is Kiltz, the same people who make the primer that hides water stains on walls.  Simply spray it on the paper.  The spray can allows you to saturate the paper without building up a heavy coating.  It is easier to spray whole sheets and then cut out the plates.  A paper cutter makes this easier.

 

All shipyards that built ships to be sold to others were concerned with cost.  They therefore tried to minimize waste by using standard plate sizes where possible.  Plates could be easily formed into segments of cylinders with plate rolls available at any well equipped yard.  Forming the plate in three dimensions was much more costly requiring pattern making and blacksmith work.  My plate layout for Benjamin Noble required few cut plates and only two 3D forged plates per side; evidence that my plate layout was correct.

 

Roger

 

Edited September 4, 2021 by Roger Pellett

[Ras Ambrioso]

Roger:

Thanks for the information on the shellac. I am very familiar with Kiltz since I have used on the ceiling of my previous home. W ill try it out soon.

Thanks again

 

[Ras Ambrioso]

Now for the news. Amapá's keel, or shall I say half keels, had been laid after the "fifie" left the dry dock for commissioning. The half keels were attached to a building board and the bow section was glued in place. The roughly cut frames were dry fitted to the working board. The half keels still need to be trimmed. To do this, I will clamp the two sides together with screws using the board's attachment points as setting holes. This will make the two half keels identical. That way, when the frames are all in place, all I need to do is to remove the half frames off the board and join them together. The result is a fairly thick keel but, who is watching? Following the advise from Toni in other posts I intend to do the fairing and the planking while the half keels are fastened to the board. 

 

I have been researching the 1/64 scale Hotchkiss QF firing gun mounted on the forward deck of Amapá. Since I also like to build miniature guns, I plan a little side project to build a 1/24 scale model of this gun under a separate post. And yes, I intent to post the build in the non-ship category if it is alright with the administration. This will be a metal model with a lot of lathe and milling machine work.

 

 

Thanks for following.

[mtaylor]

That works, Ras.   If it's a ship gun with some deck, etc. around, it put it in Shore Leave as it is nautical.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Thanks Mark. I will sure do. And you give me an idea for the presentation. I have a lot of pictures of these guns in service in different navies. I could set it on a planked  firing over the Bulwark. Great!

[Ras Ambrioso]

A little progress. Finished matching the two half-keels and secured them to my work base. Dry-fitted some of the frames using the angle gadgets I got from Micromark. I only got 8 pieces in the package and I need 22. So I went shopping for an aluminum angle and some push pin and, voila, I got my 24s. I will use these dry fitted frames to determine my planking belts and, using battens, mark the needed bevelinf of the frames. 

 

 

My angles and the purchased ones.

[mtaylor]

2 hours ago, Ras Ambrioso said:

Thanks Mark. I will sure do. And you give me an idea for the presentation. I have a lot of pictures of these guns in service in different navies. I could set it on a planked  firing over the Bulwark. Great!

Well, if it's not a stand alone and is going to end up as part of the display, put it here.  

 

I'm guessing that the angles from the hardware store were a bit cheaper than MicroMarks.  The only issue I had in the past was the hardware store ones weren't always 90 degrees.   

[Ras Ambrioso]

Mark, I bought a 3ft long aluminum angle and cut the little pieces with my cutoff saw. It created a lot of burrs but I I filed them down.The whole thing cost about $4 and I still have two ft left of the angle. I will check for the angle, tho.

[Valeriy V]

Frames can be glued without the use of aluminum corners. To do this, I use wood glue Titebond, it dries quickly and after 5 minutes you can glue the next part.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Thanks for the advise Valeriy. I have titebomnd glue but never used it in models. I did use Gorilla glue but it does take a little to set.  I do like you idea of using staples to attach the pieces to the board. thanks again, I am one of your fans.

[Roger Pellett]

Ras,

 

I also like the PVA glues, of which Titebond is one.  I recommend that you use one of the PVA glues for plating your hull.  I don’t like the applicator tip on the bottle as when it sits for a while it gums up with dried glue.  To solve this problem I bought a cheap squeeze bottle like diners used to use for ketchup and mustard.  The top on the bottle screwed onto the Titebond bottle.

 

Roger