Elbe 5 1883 by Mirabell61 - FINISHED - scale 1:50 - pilot schooner as she appeared c. 1890

[wefalck]

Yes, these pliable beech strips they sell in Germany come very handy. I have used them for the same purpose.

 

I suppose they (pre)treated the beech in a similar way Thonet did to create their bent-wood chairs, but I don't know.

[Mirabell61]

Yes Eberhard,

I bought those beech strips some time ago already for one of my other models. Now they come handy and find their destination. Are they only available in Germany, I trust they certainly will be of international use for modelers.

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

Am starting with the masting and the rigging. The tackles for the boats was the first to start up with

 

Nils

 

 

 

[Mirabell61]

Update

bot masts ready for the standing rigging.....

 

Nils

 

 

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Been away for a couple of weeks, Nils.  She's coming along beautifully.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Thank you John,

I`m trying to plan in all the leftover blocks of my former models, so it may turn out a mix of block colors (dark and pearwood ones). 

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

Standing rigging and shroud wires now done with tin galvanized flexible steel wire (19 x 0,1mm thick )

Nils

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Looking good, mate!  must have been a job getting the wire tensioned (or are those working bottlescrews)?

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Thank you John,

yes those are working bottlescrews (M1,4 )

 

Nils

[IgorSky]

As usual - great job, Nils! 

[Mirabell61]

thank you Igor,

your fleet of mini scale- and bottle ships is amazing and very nice to see. At least you should not have problems with the places for display. When I was young I also built a few bottle ships for the family members as a christmas present as I  had limited financial playground at that time....

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

fitted the skylight, the mainsail sheet and the two uncompleted companionway hatches....

I`m trying to get the aft name sign and the port name reduced to the right size. The windows / excel tool allows to get the display in a rounded, bent shape, but only in a too large size. This is to compensate the tapered aft-section. I intend to print them on transparent self-adhesive foil and cut out the text for bringing it on to the hull surface. It looks like my printer has no built in decline function

 

 

 

Nils

 

 

 

 

[Jond]

Nils 

 

I am coasting along between builds and catching up on some of these logs.  I love some of the techniques you have shared to make things like the boat davits work.    I too have struggled with copper tape and look to find a better solution and think the copper sheets look great. I found the self adhesive tape never lasted. After weeks it would curl up on me.  I  ended up using contact cement on it too.  I truly engoyed may read.

 

thanks for sharing

 

jon  

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Continuing to look very impressive, mate!

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Hi Jon

Hi John

I thank you both for your kind comments. I`m at the time of installing some details, before I start making the six sails. Finaly I`ve found a way to decline the lettering for the tail name and home port.

For the companion ways I decided to show one (open hatches) and the other one (closed hatches). The two gaff spars and their rigging will be next in the pipe.

The anchor attachment is also done as well as the two main sheets with tripple sheet blocks, so all is coming on quite well....

 

There was the question in the beginning, why the odd scale 1:51, but now the model turns out 740 mm length over all, which turns out to 37000 mm for the actual ship, who`s rating is 37 meters and therefore the scale is now corrected to 1:50

 

Nils

I onls put one admirals typ anchor with rigging at the stb side. A smaller one (emergency) will be placed at the inboard front bulwark later on

 

the forward placed companion way with closed hatches and doors. The formast boomtackle differs to the mainmast boom tackle, probably to hook it out more easily when opperating the boats

 

aft companionway and skylight. I chose an 8-window typ in order to allow more light down into the ship

 

there is a slight problem with the forward sail sheet when the boats are in place on deck. I trust this must have been the same situation as with the actual boat. The boat tackles rest (hooked in) at the davits when not in use

 

tail lettering and attached tail light

 

the upper rudder shaft will be shortend later on

 

[Jim Lad]

Love it, Nils.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Thank you John,

I`m pleased that you like it

 

Nils

[jlefever]

Really nice fittings and finishes. Well on your way to a fine model Nils.

 

Jim

[Mirabell61]

Hi Jim,

many thanks for your words, I also had a look at your models, starting with the excellent built Pinky Schooner.

I congratulate you to your skill on this behalf....

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

made the sprit spar netting and the belaying rail for the 3 for-/spritsail downhaulers....

I ran out of rigging rope in the moment and expect the delivery for this week. It looks like all my leftover blocks were just in the required quantity to suit the needs

Nils

a piece of leftover mesh from my Pamir netting

 

the wooden strip is to prevent too much glue on the netting inside. The outer will be cut off after curing

 

 

 

belaying rack for the sprit sail setting lines

 

[Jim Lad]

Very nice work on the netting, Nils.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Thank you John

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

progress with the rigging, beams and gaffs, nav. lights...

 

Nils

nav. light brackets made from 0,8mm ply

 

 

 

fastening rails for clipping to the shrouds

 

rigging will go on when the sails are made

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KeithAug]

She is coming along really well Nils. Are you planning to model the full set of sails?

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Keith,

yes. she will be carrying all 6 sails set....

I have`nt sewn sails for a long time and hope that it will work out OK, depending also on the condition of my wife`s sewing machine

 

Nils

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, Mirabell61 said:

depending also on the condition of my wife`s sewing machine

Nils - Maybe she deserves a new one😀

 

With 6 sails I suspect she will look magnificent.

[wefalck]

Do you really want to spoil your model with sewn sails ? I would think twice about this, because they never look right. I would rather go for something like silk-span (Japanseide), glue and paint. There are various examples for such sails her on the forum. They look much more to scale.

[Mirabell61]

12 hours ago, wefalck said:

Do you really want to spoil your model with sewn sails ? I would think twice about this, because they never look right. I would rather go for something like silk-span (Japanseide), glue and paint. There are various examples for such sails her on the forum. They look much more to scale.

Eberhard,

I`ll try with one sewn sail first and see what it looks like....

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

when looking at the boats bow-and sternposts I always had the relating coment, some mails ago, by Wefalck nagging at my mind. So I decided to overwork the boats model for casting accordingly. Now the "clinker planking" ties up with the rear side of the thinned out posts, I provided  a cast  rope-fender (tawling ?) all around, and reinforced the visable frame ends inside the bulwarks. My casting tool was adjusted and a new silicone mold was made....The first results are pleasing for myself

 

Nils

 

the overworked model

 

fender rope attached

 

first cast results

 

 

 

 

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

finished, the new set of boats. I wo`nt give them an underwater painting like the former ones, plain white hulls I think look better

Maybe I`ll put the former obsolete ones on sale at Ebay

 

Nils