SD14 Stern Section by Kevin - Marcle Models - 1/70 - CARD - started 1st Jan 2022 - abandoned

[Kevin]

good morning everyone and Happy New year

 

in another forum, i joined a group maritime build with a 3 month build time, and it starts today, however i had forgotten about it otherwise the U552 would have been entered

as i had nothing new to build and my new years resolution (no new kits)  i have been allowed to enter this, an unstarted section of the SD14 bought in 2016

 

 

  

 

Sometimes known as the replacement for the famous "Liberty" ship, the 14,000 ton SD14 general cargo ships are found under many different names and flags in most of the world's ports and all of the high seas. The designation "SD14" denotes "Shelter Deck 14,000 tons". The shelter deck is the second or tween deck in the cargo spaces and, when the ship is loaded down to her plimsoll line, she displaces 14,000 tons.

By the mid 1960s, there remained some 700 Liberty and other war-built cargo ships still trading. Even the youngest were 20 years old and the question of a replacement was exercising the minds of ship owners and builders around the world. the emergence of bulk carriers and container ships pointed to the end of the "shelter Deck" design which had been used with little alteration since the turn of the century. Many felt that this design was no obsolete and that the future lay with containerisation.

It was, therefore, something of a surprise when ship builders all over the world unveiled their plans for the "liberty Ship Replacement", almost all of which offered a two-deck vessel of 14,000/15,000 tons deadweight. Doubtless this choice was influenced by the requirements of potential customers. Most of the war-built vessels were, by this time, being operated by Greek ship owners of limited resources to whom these new designs, for a type of vessel with which they were fully experienced and priced at about £1 million with cheap credit facilities, were very attractive.

A total of 30 designs were put forward as the "Liberty Ship Replacement" in the early months of 1966. Of these, the most successful was the SD14, developed by the Sunderland shipbuilders, Austin and Pickersgill. The first SD14 keel was laid on 8th. June 1967. Unusually, this was not at Austin and Pickersgill's own yard, but nearby at that of another Sunderland shipbuilder, Bartram's, who were building the ship under licence. The first ship, named Mimis N. Papalios, was launched on 1st. December 1967. She was also very nearly the first SD14 to be completed. However, Austin and Pickersgill managed to make up the leeway in their own building programme to hand over the first completed SD14, the Nicola, on 14th. February 1968, the Mimis N. Papalios following the next day.

Between 1968 and 1988, a total of 211 SD14s were completed and it is interesting to note that, by 1990, only 10 had been scrapped for commercial reasons, a further three going to the breaker's yard after marine accidents. Of the dozen vessels reported as sunk, at least two fell victim to missile attack during the Iran/Iraq conflict.

Like the original Liberty ships, which many thought would be scrapped as soon as the war was over, the SD14 was not ascribed a very long life by some early critics. Nevertheless, these ships are still in demand in the charter market, with average daily rates of $5,200 for a one-year time contract, and in the second hand market with prices ranging from $2.5m for an early seventies ship to $5.75m. for a newer example.

One guide to the success of the SD14 is to look at the movement of the 211 ships through the second-hand market. Most of the ships now sailing are with only their second owner, a few remaining with their original purchaser. The oldest SD14 in service is the Wave Crest, the vessel which, as the Mimis N. Papalios, missed by one day the distinction of being the first completed ship of her type.

   The Model

In 1978, while attached to Manchester Docks, George Robinson, a retired Merchant Navy captain, hit on the idea of providing the port fire brigade with an easy-to-build model of the SD14. In this way, the trainee firemen could easily and quickly become familiar with the layout of the ship.

So, originated a 2-foot long, 1:70 scale model kit of the Forward section of the SD14. This first attempt met with such success that kits if the Midships and After sections followed in 1979, the complete model measuring an imposing 7 feet in length. Professional and international recognition followed in 1982 when the model won the "Shipwrights Model Competition" at the Guildhall in London.

Quite apart from sheer size, the kit is remarkable, for it is, in fact, put together in much the same way as the original was in Sunderland. Space here permits no more than a brief glimpse of what awaits the builder of this miniature leviathan.

The instructions, which, for the complete kit, run to about 60 pages, first explain that the model will be built by the dry dock method rather than on the slipway - the difference is clarified.

You then proceed to lay the shell bottom plates of the Forward section to form the double bottom, between the outer surface of the hull and the inner surface of the holds. On the original, the space in between in used for water ballast, necessary to keep the propellor submerged when there is no cargo and to maintain an even keel. This last expression, in such common and, I suspect , often unwitting, usage, is precisely defined.

The building progresses aft as the cargo holds are each constructed with transverse watertight bulkheads, hold pillars and centre line plates. There are even properly runged ladders on which to descend to the bowels of the vessel. In the After section, as well as a cargo hold, there is the engine room together with the propellor shaft tunnel and, by lifting up the after deck house, access is provided to the steering gear flat and the rudder stock.

In the bridge superstructure, containing the crew's accommodation, every cabin is accounted for. The crew's mess room, galley and smoke room are each separately delineated as are the linen locker, baggage room and officers' smoke room to mention but a few. The model also incorporates the correct ventilation trunk ways, the significance of which for cargo handling is explained.

In the course of construction, the instructions are supplemented by sections which explain the actual fabrication of the original, so that, as you work through the model, you learn about the SD14, how it was assembled and how it works.The operation of such components as MacGregor hatch covers, the keelson and camber in the original are fully expounded and you can then reproduce these to scale. Step-by-step diagrams illustrate the sequence of construction.

It is perhaps worth remembering that ships are machines, the largest ever built by man. So it is fascinating to see how this great machine works and to reproduce it in miniature at the same time. The correct nautical terms are used and explained, showing how each part of the ship functions and how the whole design draws on centuries of experience to produce the modern ocean-going vessel. If, like me, you have wondered what exactly is a "Tween Deck" and what is its purpose, you need wonder no more. All is revealed after which you can actually build one.

The kit is printed on 184 A3 sheets of top quality manilla card, there being approximately 4,500 pieces, and the modeller can choose to paint the model with an authentic colour scheme or one of his own choice. The three sections can be fixed together or left dismantled and the aft superstructure can be removed to give a glimpse of the various deck levels inside the hull. naturally, all the cargo hatches open to show the holds.

. The model can be made either for display or, with suitable waterproofing (see "Cutting Remarks" no. 3), can be sailed, there being space for R/C gear.

Although the original SD14 models were all sold out about 10 years ago, Marcle Models, under licence from George Robinson, reissues the SD14 kit. The complete kit, weighing over 17 lbs, is supplied in 6 cartons, complete with a tool kit and costs £280 including worldwide surface mail. The three sections, Forward, Midships and After, are each available separately at £105 each.

Should you decide to have a go, this, the "Non plus ultra of card (and perhaps any other type of) modelling, should keep you busy for about a year.

 

 

Christopher Cooke and Thomas Pleiner, with acknowledgements to George Robinson, John Lingwood and Ships Monthly. Article first appeared in "Cutting Remarks" No. 4, September 1992.

 

 

[Canute]

This build will an epic journey, Kevin. I'll be following along.😃

[Kevin]

good afternoon everyone and for those i have not said it to, Happy New Year

 

room made ready

 

well i have officially made a start on this timed build, 3 months, and she will be in a cutaway format with lighting and as much internal detailing as i can get away with

Frames 1 to 52

manilla sheets 119 to 123

these cover the

Shell bottom sheets

Double bottom Longitudinals

Centre line Keelson

Double bottom floors

 

nothing is push out , everything has to be cut from the manilla sheets, 

in this update only the bottom plates are glued together, using the centre line keelson to ensure everything stays in line

 

 

 

bottom floor plates with centre line

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Im here Kevin, this is going to be a very interesting build  - my hats off to you already  for what you are building.

 

Happy New Year to you and yours.

 

OC

[Roger Pellett]

Happy New Year Kevin!  It will be interesting watching this.

 

The Shelter Deck was a gimmick to take advantage of tonnage rules.  Ship builders and their Naval Architects have long favored designs that provided maximum cargo carrying capacity while minimizing tonnage,  the legal definition definition of carrying capacity.  Tonnage is used as the basis of certain shipping costs; canal tolls, harbor fees, etc.

 

Tonnage rules generally exclude areas where cargo could be carried that are exposed to weather.  So an extra deck called a shelter deck was added with a small opening commonly called a "Tonnage Opening."  Since the tonnage opening was open to the weather, the entire volume above the extra deck was not included in the tonnage calculations.  Of course, if cargo was shipped on the shelter deck, there was nothing to stop the crew from temporarily closing up the tonnage opening and making it watertight.

 

Roger

[Kevin]

35 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

Happy New Year Kevin!  It will be interesting watching this.

 

The Shelter Deck was a gimmick to take advantage of tonnage rules.  Ship builders and their Naval Architects have long favored designs that provided maximum cargo carrying capacity while minimizing tonnage,  the legal definition definition of carrying capacity.  Tonnage is used as the basis of certain shipping costs; canal tolls, harbor fees, etc.

 

Tonnage rules generally exclude areas where cargo could be carried that are exposed to weather.  So an extra deck called a shelter deck was added with a small opening commonly called a "Tonnage Opening."  Since the tonnage opening was open to the weather, the entire volume above the extra deck was not included in the tonnage calculations.  Of course, if cargo was shipped on the shelter deck, there was nothing to stop the crew from temporarily closing up the tonnage opening and making it watertight.

 

Roger

thank you for that info, i wasnt aware of that, i will try and remember that when i get to that part

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

 

well thats the double bottom floors in, they will now all be removed to ensure they fit properly, and most likely get a Modge Podge varnish on them as i would like to show some access to them, might just be an open tank top or go the whole hog and open one up to show a feed water tank to oil fuel tank, and if thats the case i need the varnish to allow some painting to take place

then before the tank tops go into position all the Longitudinals need to be fitted

 

no glue has yet been used, 

 

these go in next, which ensure everything is square

all the folds against the centre line need to be trimmed back to avoid the bunching

 

 

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

 

day 2/90

everything was removed and during today they have been fixed back into place, as the Longitudinals are secured  it is starting to tidy and firm up

the tank tops will be next but i am unsure still at present what if anything i want to show in the cutaway, obtaining a mock engine would be beneficial right now lol

 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Kevin

[Kevin]

SD14: A STANDARD DESIGN CARGO VESSEL | Yorkshire Film Archive (yfanefa.com)

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

Day 3/90 tank tops sheets 125&126

 

the very forward double floors are designed to interlock with the midships section of the kit, but as this is a being done as a separate section i added them in, should i change my mind in the future, it may be a problem then, not now,

The tank tops are next to go on, but before that the shaft bearing pillars need to be fitted

 

the forward section would normally be fitted to the midships section at this time

but as it is a stand alone i put all the frames in

one of the shaft bearing pillars in place

first of the tank tops, this is the engine base area

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by Kevin

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

 

sheet 124

4/90

0ver 50% of the tank tops are now on, im just going around ensuring they are all secure to avoid any lifting

tonight i have varnished the next load of sheets with a matte Modge Podge (maybe other makes are available)

one of the major bulkheads goes in tomorrow onto frame 37

 

[Jim Lad]

How did I miss the start of this epic project?  What a great model to build Kevin.

 

Further to Roger's comments on shelter deck ships, on all the shelter deckers I sailed on the tonnage hatch was permanently sealed off from the remainder of the tween decks by a rivetted or welded bulkhead, but so long as the hatch wasn't (legally) weather tight it was still considered to be an opening and thus made the tween deck into a shelter deck for tonnage purposes.

 

John

[Kevin]

9 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

How did I miss the start of this epic project?  What a great model to build Kevin.

 

Further to Roger's comments on shelter deck ships, on all the shelter deckers I sailed on the tonnage hatch was permanently sealed off from the remainder of the tween decks by a rivetted or welded bulkhead, but so long as the hatch wasn't (legally) weather tight it was still considered to be an opening and thus made the tween deck into a shelter deck for tonnage purposes.

 

John

thank you

as it will be in a cutaway, i will be aware now when it comes to the upper deck and access, it will be helpful then to see what types of goods would be held in this area, as i had presumed that the name shelter, meant that

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

 

day 5/90

thank you for comments and likes

 

i have a problem

although available in three kits, it is not going to be easy to build the after section  as such, as i have found out today, to keep its shape it needs the bulkhead, which is part of the midships section, which cannot be used as it has bowed from being in my garage for lots of years, also it would take me well past the group build timeline

i am not allowed to purchase a replacement midships section (new years resolution, plus model dockyard has gone bust, and it looks like Marcle have as well, an email to them l keeps bouncing back

so what's my options

worst case is that i cut the midships section up and attempt to attach it to mine, or remove bits of it to try and duplicate, im not a big fan of either,

 

today number 6 bulkhead has been made up and in place, an enjoyable project with lots of scoring to get the shape

 

 

 

as you can see from the below image the engine room platform and the tween decks fit to the bulkhead but ultimately needs another one to take the weight and keep the shape, i don't think the frames will be enough to support the weight

 

this is the midships sections been in my garage for well over 5 years

 

 tween decks level being made up away from the hull

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Kevin

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

 

day 5/90

thank you for comments and likes

 

i have a problem

although available in three kits, it is not going to be easy to build the after section  as such, as i have found out today, to keep its shape it needs the bulkhead, which is part of the midships section, which cannot be used as it has bowed from being in my garage for lots of years, also it would take me well past the group build timeline

i am not allowed to purchase a replacement midships section (new years resolution, plus model dockyard has gone bust, and it looks like Marcle have as well, an email to them l keeps bouncing back

so what's my options

worst case is that i cut the midships section up and attempt to attach it to mine, or remove bits of it to try and duplicate, im not a big fan of either,

 

today number 6 bulkhead has been made up and in place, an enjoyable project with lots of scoring to get the shape

 

 

 

as you can see from the below image the engine room platform and the tween decks fit to the bulkhead but ultimately needs another one to take the weight and keep the shape, i don't think the frames will be enough to support the weight

 

this is the midships sections been in my garage for well over 5 years

 

 tween decks level being made up away from the hull

[Jim Lad]

Kevin,

 

Your post that quoted my post reads, 

 

"thank you

as it will be in a cutaway, i will be aware now when it comes to the upper deck and access, it will be helpful then to see what types of goods would be held in this area, as i had presumed that the name shelter, meant that"

 

Not sure what you were going to say, but the tween deck was just another cargo space (the 'shelter deck' title being merely a bit of legal jiggery pokery by the time these ships were built), but as the tween decks were much smaller spaces than the lower holds, they were useful for stowing smaller or more delicate parcels of cargo or for partial stowage to assist in maintaining a good metacentric height for stability purposes.

 

John

 

 

[Kevin]

9 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

Kevin,

 

Your post that quoted my post reads, 

 

"thank you

as it will be in a cutaway, i will be aware now when it comes to the upper deck and access, it will be helpful then to see what types of goods would be held in this area, as i had presumed that the name shelter, meant that"

 

Not sure what you were going to say, but the tween deck was just another cargo space (the 'shelter deck' title being merely a bit of legal jiggery pokery by the time these ships were built), but as the tween decks were much smaller spaces than the lower holds, they were useful for stowing smaller or more delicate parcels of cargo or for partial stowage to assist in maintaining a good metacentric height for stability purposes.

 

John

 

 

sorry john, my reply dont make sense, i never realised the two were the same (sheter/tween deck) even though it is in my opening comments, thank you for correcting me

 

[Kevin]

good morning everyone

 

sorry about the confusion last night wrt to shelter/tween decks

 

i have  resolved my bulkhead issue, i used part of the midships section, which was beyond repair, and now in the process of joining them  together

to do that i cut back the bottom plates to gain access to the double floor frames, it now looks like the 3 part build will be a trwo part one, the front end

as new and this end will be end of life at the breakers

 

from the midships section i removed about 10 frames up to the forward cargo hold

 

cut back the bottom plates to gain entry to the frames

 

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kevin

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

day 6/90

 

well after the addition of the bulkhead, very little seams to have been done today, even though a put a good few hours in

tomorrow i will be working on the shaft tunnel, as that area is getting well a truly battered from the moving around

 

a bit of paint has made it look a bit better

i now know where the three decks are going to sit

engine room platform

middle one is the tween/shelter deck (1/2 deck)

and top deck

all the tabs between the double floor frames will tidy up when the frames go in,  it does make it look very untidy

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kevin

[Old Collingwood]

Incredibly delicate work there mate  - really nice.

 

OC.

[Roger Pellett]

Kevin,

 

It’s coming along nicely.  

 

I believe that the term Shelter Deck was originally chosen to maintain the fiction that the deck was only sheltered from the weather, not watertight.

 

You mention a feedwater tank so this must have been a Steamship.  This is somewhat surprising because by the 1860’s the large slow speed direct drive diesels were favored by many owners and of course Sunderland was home to Doxford, an early proponent of diesel propulsion.  Americans were, and still are, one of the few holdouts.  They continued to build steamships and when they switched to diesel, it was the medium speed engine with reduction gears and/or CP propeller.

 

Marine Engineering is Naval Architecture’s less glamorous sibling, particularly in the diesel era as unlike steam plants, the engines are designed by mechanical engineers working for the engine builders.  Reading news from my alma mater, I sense that the discipline is coming back into the light of day as shipping lines look for ways to reduce emissions from burning the heavy bunker oils.

 

Roger

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Roger Pellett

[Kevin]

48 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

Kevin,

 

It’s coming along nicely.  

 

I believe that the term Shelter Deck was originally chosen to maintain the fiction that the deck was only sheltered from the weather, not watertight.

 

You mention a feedwater tank so this must have been a Steamship.  This is somewhat surprising because by the 1860’s the large slow speed direct drive diesels were favored by many owners and of course Sunderland was home to Doxford, an early proponent of diesel propulsion.  Americans were, and still are, one of the few holdouts.  They continued to build steamships and when they switched to diesel, it was the medium speed engine with reduction gears and/or CP propeller.

 

Marine Engineering is Naval Architecture’s less glamorous sibling, particularly in the diesel era as unlike steam plants, the engines are designed by mechanical engineers working for the engine builders.  Reading news from my alma mater, I sense that the discipline is coming back into the light of day as shipping lines look for ways to reduce emissions from burning the heavy bunker oils.

 

Roger

 

thank you for your reply, im not sure where the feed water comment came from, she is certainly a diesel driven unit built in the 1960, there are still some floating around

 

i can certainly see a return to wind power 

 

[realworkingsailor]

50 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

You mention a feedwater tank so this must have been a Steamship.  This is somewhat surprising because by the 1860’s the large slow speed direct drive diesels were favored by many owners and of course Sunderland was home to Doxford, an early proponent of diesel propulsion.  Americans were, and still are, one of the few holdouts.  They continued to build steamships and when they switched to diesel, it was the medium speed engine with reduction gears and/or CP propeller.

 

Even diesel boats today still have a small steam boiler. Either a small oil fired unit or an exhaust gas economizer (waste heat recovery), and very often both. Although not used for propulsion, the steam would be used to heat fuel oil (IFO is thick as molasses at room temperature, HFO even thicker), for warming the engine (via heat exchangers) prior to starting, and other auxiliary uses (hot water for the crew). The boiler(s) would require it’s own feed water tank as there are various caustic chemicals needed to prevent corrosion and sediment build up, that you don’t want in general circulation.

 

Andy

[Kevin]

7 minutes ago, realworkingsailor said:

Even diesel boats today still have a small steam boiler. Either a small oil fired unit or an exhaust gas economizer (waste heat recovery), and very often both. Although not used for propulsion, the steam would be used to heat fuel oil (IFO is thick as molasses at room temperature, HFO even thicker), for warming the engine (via heat exchangers) prior to starting, and other auxiliary uses (hot water for the crew). The boiler(s) would require it’s own feed water tank as there are various caustic chemicals needed to prevent corrosion and sediment build up, that you don’t want in general circulation.

 

Andy

thank you Andy

 

i was trying to remember my Submarine training for feed water/ and distillers and everything my head had to remember, not to mention reactor recovery when sat in the ship control seat

 

[Kevin]

good evening everyone

 

day 7/90 - flying by

i was inspired by this model many years ago, and will attempt something like this in my project, this is 1/144 whereas mine is twice the size

 

NOT MY PHOTO

looking on the net for cargo ship scrapping i came across this hence one of the reasons for add the extra cargo frames,  never mind the foreground only 3 months to build 1/3 of a ship

took a break from the frames today and played with the accommodation block, this brings in the full size of the build, here she is as of tonight

 

NOT MY PHOTO

Edited January 7, 2022 by Kevin

[Jim Lad]

You're progressing well, Kevin, and it's good to see the obligatory 'model maker's cut' on your thumb! 

 

That's a beautiful model of the wreck that you posted, by the way.

 

John

[Kevin]

8 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

You're progressing well, Kevin, and it's good to see the obligatory 'model maker's cut' on your thumb! 

 

That's a beautiful model of the wreck that you posted, by the way.

 

John

i stopped the bleeding with a fast setting c/a and it got everywhere, never trust me with a sharp knife

a few more of the diorama (NOT MY PHOTOS)

Edited January 7, 2022 by Kevin

[Old Collingwood]

Gonna send  you a  rubber knife  mate  - can't have you cutting yourself😁

 

Seriously  amazing work  - I take my hat of to you  and  others who attempt these card builds.

 

OC.

[Roger Pellett]

Thanks, for reminding me of this Andy.  I was part of a student team to design a tanker with a hinge amidships.  The idea was to produce a vessel with draft shallow enough to pass through the Suez Canal.  The hinge reduced stresses in the shallow hull.  We built and towed an 8ft long model of the proposed design.

 

My job was to design the ship’s machinery and I used a large slow speed Sulzer engine.  The American Nordberg engine company offered a prize for designs using a Diesel engine.  I designed a heat recovery system that used engine exhaust to generate steam to power the ship’s generating sets.

 

You are blasting through construction of this model with lightening speed, Kevin and doing a beautiful job.  I hope that you build the entire ship.

 

Roger

[Kevin]

5 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

Thanks, for reminding me of this Andy.  I was part of a student team to design a tanker with a hinge amidships.  The idea was to produce a vessel with draft shallow enough to pass through the Suez Canal.  The hinge reduced stresses in the shallow hull.  We built and towed an 8ft long model of the proposed design.

 

My job was to design the ship’s machinery and I used a large slow speed Sulzer engine.  The American Nordberg engine company offered a prize for designs using a Diesel engine.  I designed a heat recovery system that used engine exhaust to generate steam to power the ship’s generating sets.

 

You are blasting through construction of this model with lightening speed, Kevin and doing a beautiful job.  I hope that you build the entire ship.

 

Roger

i have a lot of the fwd section made up, i may add some of the now useless midships section and complete her as just out of build, (start of her life)