King of the Mississippi by Jerry Berenson

[Jerry Berenson]

I am posting a  blog documenting my build of the Mississippi riverboat “King of the Mississippi “. I bought a kit of the older version of the boat and decided to motorize and electrify it. I modified the kit using plans I found on the internet for Artesania Latina’s new version of the riverboat which allows for a motor and LED wiring. I have previously posted and built 2 Bluejacket kits, USS Constitution and the Nantucket Lightship. I hope you find my blog interesting. Jerry

Edited February 24, 2023 by Jerry Berenson

[Jerry Berenson]

I planked the hull and then planked the deck. Next was the building and “shingling”of the superstructure.I framed the doorways and made the vents for the stables. Pins were nailed vertically inside the vents and the doors were mounted. Throughs for the animals were made as well as hangers for the retaining bars. The paddle wheel brackets were mounted.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Jerry Berenson

[Bob Fraser]

Looking good there Jerry.

As you build, unless you've plenty of spare, keep all the usable sized scrap wood as AL are very "careful" with the amount they give you.

[Jerry Berenson]

Thanks Bob, yes I try to be frugal with the wood

[Jerry Berenson]

I bought a low speed motor on eBay and mounted it in order to turn the paddle wheel. I fabricated a wooden grooved wheel for the motor as well as one for the paddle wheel and glued them on to each. I am not skilled enough to make connecting rods so I will be using a rubber band . The windows on the 2nd deck were solid metal. I decided to use LEDs to light that deck so I discarded the metal ones and made my own from clear plastic which I scored and then inked in to make them look like separate panes. The superstructure was planked similar to the main deck structures. I made the vents, stained them and fit them in their respective openings. The paddle wheel took several coats of red and black paint along with brass for the rivets. I planked the deck in a herringbone pattern.

[Jerry Berenson]

Building the main staircases was a challenge. They came out slightly off center “c’est la vie “ ! I stained them with teakwood stain. I then built the stairs and railings for the 2nd deck . The supports were cut and glued all around the boat. I painted the rails and placed them inside the railings between the posts along with making  and glueing triangular supports on the lower deck as well as painting and installing the premade metal ornamental supports on the second deck. That is where I am presently and will post more as I get further along. 

[Jerry Berenson]

Jerry Berenson ( not Berensen)

[Bob Fraser]

Hi Jerry

Looking good. Your new windows are far better than the original metal ones.

Those stairs are everyones bugbear with this kit.

 

If you go to your 1st post and click the three dots on the right you can edit the topic title to change your name.

[Cathead]

That motor will certainly add visual interest.

[Jerry Berenson]

Here are some additional pictures of where I am on the build. I placed railings around the stairways and have completed one side of the railings around the perimeter of the deck. I wired up the motor for the paddle wheel to see if it works. It does rotate but needs some refinement. I constructed the superstructure on the third deck and paneled it.Bob Fraser, you called it ! I had to order some additional wood for the railings. On an additional subject I have enclosed a picture I took last week of 3 Coast Guard ships ( in the fog) at their births in Woods Hole , Massachusetts near my home . My good friend served on the middle ship the “Tybee”. While there in our local coffee shop,I also met and spoke with Dr. Robert Ballard ,who located the Titanic as well as the Bismarck . Woods Hole is the home of the Alvin submersible as well as Woods Hole Oceanographic and the Marine Biological Lab. It is a world renowned center for ocean research. 

 

 

[Bob Fraser]

Looking good there Jerry.👍

Not an electronics expert, but you may want to put a resistor in series to drop the voltage to the motor so it runs slower if you can still access the power line.

The catching may be due to a sideways slip on the axle?

4 hours ago, Jerry Berenson said:

,I also met and spoke with Dr. Robert Ballard

Such a legend - I've watched many a program about him and his work.

On a side note, I had to look up Falmouth, MA, just in case.  A relative burned the original Falmouth, Massachusetts - now Portland, Maine, in a 1775 attack on the revolutionists of the town.

[Jerry Berenson]

Bob, Maine was a part of Massachusetts at that time. Capt. Mitchell of the HMS Nimrod attacked our town of Falmouth on Cape Cod in the War of 1812. A cannonball which penetrated the side of a pub  in town remained in the wall of the men’s room until about 5 yrs ago when the pub was demolished. Fun fact!😀

[bobandlucy]

What a nice build!

[Jerry Berenson]

Bobandlucy and Bob Fraser…..thank you for your nice comments.Here are pictures of where I am presently on this build. Since the daffodils are coming out and model building is my winter project, I am looking to completing this model in the near future. Still a way to go but getting there. Bob, I determined that the reason the paddle wheel was slipping was that my homemade wooden gear that I fitted onto the motor shaft was slipping on the shaft. A bit of super glue helped.

[Bob Fraser]

 

Looking a nice crisp build,

10 hours ago, Jerry Berenson said:

wooden gear that I fitted onto the motor shaft was slipping on the shaft. A bit of super glue helped.

Good catch. I thought you meant a sideways slip 😃

 

[Jerry Berenson]

All done! Note the little people as well as the 2 horses in their

 

 

stable. I electrified the boat as can be seen by the LEDs as well as the paddle wheel. (Still a little bit of slippage but “good enough “ for displaying.) I am not going to use it in the bathtub 😀. It was a fun build. I used the enclosed directions as well as modifying the online plans since my model was an older model. Nothing else in the pipeline but we will see when Fall and winter arrives. Thanks for following my build. Jerry 

[Bob Fraser]

Nicely done!

[Cathead]

Thanks for sharing!