Amerigo Vespucci by DanielD - OcCre - 1:100

[DanielD]

Good evening everyone. I became tired of working on the deck, so I switched gears to do a little experiment. The goal for my AV is to have the doors open on the main bridge. The OcCre version of this ship does not plan for this, so on my own I go… The first image below is the real bridge. In my experiment I’m working on the floor. This is very small detailed work with my huge fingers, but I’m fairly happy with the outcome. The second image is my version of the floor compared to a US dime, our smallest coin. Third image displays the floor set in place in my bridge structure and finally a close up looking through the door/windows.

 

 Thanks a lot for stopping by…

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by DanielD

[Mike Dowling]

I have to say, I thought about doing something inside there but, seeing as how I cut part of the base out for the lighting I changed my mind! I did add doors which as you correctly pointed out that Occre had missed. I have also added doors to the other house with the glass roof which weren't there either. 

I have finally started to plank the hull of my AV. 

[clearway]

looks good Daniel- are we suckers for self abuse or what!😉

 

Keith

[DanielD]

Good evening all, here is todays update on the main bridge. Added some bracing to make it look more like the real thing as well as lighting and the very dark blue/purple paint that makes the bridge dark to enhance visibility. It’s slowly coming along.

 

One note, I’m a little disappointed in the OcCre kit in that they didn’t even try to get the steering wheels correct. 😞 

 

[clearway]

nothing new with the ships wheels regards occre huh- i take it they are the standard offering supplied with all their kits😬

 

Keith

[Gus M]

Looks great @DanielD

[DanielD]

On 3/18/2023 at 1:32 AM, clearway said:

nothing new with the ships wheels regards occre huh- i take it they are the standard offering supplied with all their kits😬

 

Keith

Keith, I think this case is worse than the Terror where at least OcCre provided an 8 spoked wheel instead of the historically accurate 10 spoked version. In the OcCre version of the America Vespucci kit, the real AV has four 8 spoked wheels, but what was included…well, see below… 😞 but not even a proper helm.

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by DanielD

[DanielD]

Hello everyone, welcome aboard. Here is an update for my weekends effort on my main bridge. I can’t finish the inside as I had to order some eight spiked wheels as OcCre did not provide them in the kit. However, I did make some good progress.

 

Built some equipment for the bridge and started the woodwork over the bridge shell. I’m having a quandary though, maybe you can help. The AV bridge of course has glass windows. The OcCre kit provided clear thin plexi to use for the windows. Should I install the windows which will hamper the ability to look inside? Or just leave them out, will still look like windows, but easier to view the bridge?

 

[Mike Dowling]

Now that you have done interior detail I would leave the windows as they are. Glazing them would be very tricky now.

[clearway]

ouch at the ships wheels- i know it is 1/100 but jeez- i would find some tubing and drill into it for wire spokes for the outer rim and some smaller tubing for the hub which can be parted off when drilled and glued if that makes sense?

 

Keith

[Keith Black]

 

7 minutes ago, clearway said:

ouch at the ships wheels- i know it is 1/100 but jeez- i would find some tubing and drill into it for wire spokes for the outer rim and some smaller tubing for the hub which can be parted off when drilled and glued if that makes sense?

Better yet, throw that rubbish in the bin and place an order with Cornwall. They have some pretty nice wheels as I remember.

[DanielD]

Good evening mates, this week was spent working on the shell of the main bridge. Oh, and my helms wheels came in today. Sadly though, I need 5, but I only ordered 4. What was I thinking 🤔.  Also, I’m experimenting with some liquid brass leaf. Basically is like brass paint and supposed to have the luster of real brass…I think I like this stuff. 

[clearway]

looking nice there Daniel- regards the wheelhouse windows i would glaze them as it will help stop those dust bunnies having an orgy in there 😁

 

Keeith

[DanielD]

4 hours ago, clearway said:

looking nice there Daniel- regards the wheelhouse windows i would glaze them as it will help stop those dust bunnies having an orgy in there 😁

 

Keeith

Keith, I am thinking the same thing…

[Mike Dowling]

I appreciate that neither of us has got that far yet but are you aware that Occre have only allowed for two sets of steps at the side of the ship but only one set for the other side. I want the ship to have two sets of ladders on each side so, I have saved a pair of the supplied metal ladders from the main bridge house and made my own for that.

[DanielD]

Good afternoon mates, I have finally finished the inside of the wheelhouse. Now that I have that out of my system, back to working on the deck and lighting so I can start the planking project…

 

[DanielD]

On 3/25/2023 at 9:02 AM, Mike Dowling said:

I appreciate that neither of us has got that far yet but are you aware that Occre have only allowed for two sets of steps at the side of the ship but only one set for the other side. I want the ship to have two sets of ladders on each side so, I have saved a pair of the supplied metal ladders from the main bridge house and made my own for that.

Mike, I appreciate you discovering this. I’ll keep it in mind. 
 

While working on my Amerigo Vespucci inspired fore deck, I discovered that OcCre has made a mistake on the deck equipment, that as far as I can tell the other model manufacturers got correct. There are two fore anchors on the starboard side but only one on the port side, but the OcCre instructions and kit contain two anchor kits for each side. I have double checked photographic images, and it’s true, two on the starboard but only one on the port side.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by DanielD

[Mike Dowling]

Thank you for that Daniel, I think 3 are enough to stop a ship!

[DanielD]

Good evening mates, I have a question for those more knowledgeable about ships than I am. In the image below, what is the area on the deck marked by the red oval? The Amerigo Vespucci has at least 4 of these that I have found so far, but I have no idea what they could be. Any ideas?

 

 

[Keith Black]

Those are coal scuttles. 

[Dave_E]

10 hours ago, Keith Black said:

Those are coal scuttles. 

What is that and how does it work?

[DanielD]

1 hour ago, Dave_E said:

What is that and how does it work?

I really have no idea; however, from the hint Keith gave, I did some research. It appears that a “scuttle” can be a type of water proof hatch, use for various tasks, one of which can be escape. Other uses I found include loading coal, diesel or food and even be opened for ventilation. I presume that the hatch opens in some way allowing direct access to the deck below and easy loading/unloading of supplies. Also, it appears that scuttles can be installed on the side of the ship as well, but they are more commonly called…a port hole.

Edited March 31, 2023 by DanielD

[DanielD]

Good afternoon mates, I have finally finished the drawing my design of my Amerigo Vespucci inspired fore deck inlay pattern. Now time to start building.

 

[Keith Black]

6 hours ago, Dave_E said:

What is that and how does it work?

 Dave, they're covered openings that lead to the coal bins alongside the boilers below. Each scuttle leads to a particular coal bin. The coal tenders would tie-up alongside the ship they were serving and off load coal via shoots through the scuttle opening. If interested you could visit my Tennessee build, my work on replicating the coal scuttles is post #169.

 

 Photo of the Tennessee, you can see the aft coal scuttles at the left feet of the second and third sailors with drawn swords.  

Edited April 1, 2023 by Keith Black

[gmctaggart]

Very nice work. Will watch this one with interest. I've always wanted to incorporate lighting into my models, so great to see how its done.

Gord

[DanielD]

Good evening everyone, it’s been a while since my last post. This week I was working on the fore deck with all the extra Amerigo Vespucci inspired inlay. I’m happy with the final product and started to temporarily place the deck hardware. To hold each piece of equipment in place I’m adding a 1mm post to the bottom each piece and drilling a hole in the deck for placement. So far, it’s all working well. Thanks for spending a little time with me on this journey.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Great idea to fix things to the deck early in the process ...  A friend showed me a model built by her late father, where a fife rail had come loose because it was just glued by the end grain of the post to the deck - and tension from the rigging (humidity changes?) had pulled it loose.

 

  For my build, guess I'll have to rely on a piece of wire in the post to help, and perhaps some ohter reinforcement.

[Mike Dowling]

Do you not think it a bit of a risk putting fittings on the deck before the hull planking? I would be afraid of knocking them off/breaking them.

[DanielD]

2 hours ago, Mike Dowling said:

Do you not think it a bit of a risk putting fittings on the deck before the hull planking? I would be afraid of knocking them off/breaking them.

Mike, the equipment is only temporarily mounted, with a 1mm rod mounted into the bottom of each piece and drilled into the deck. Just a little twist and the pieces come off. I won’t have them in place when doing the planking. I have lighting that I need to place, not in the way of the equipment, and I have to have lighting and wiring all working before doing the hull as once the planking is done, no more access to the wires.

Edited April 10, 2023 by DanielD

[Mike Dowling]

You are so right!!! I had to check all my wiring to make sure it all worked but now my fate is sealed as I have finished the first hull planking. I was terrified that I might break some of my soldered connections when I sanded it but so far (!!!) everything still works. I have spent some time trying to decide whether to do the second planking or leave it as it is. I just can't make my mind up. The instructions say to do a second layer and then smother it in filler before final sanding. But if the first layer is ok and the hull is going to be painted any way what do you think?